UMASS/AMHERST         'g 


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FIVE  COLLEGE 
POSITORY 


LIBRARY 


OF  THE 


MASSACHUSETTS 

AGRICULTURAL 

COLk::^GE 


No.___8__*iSB 
.397 
H68 
1848 


SOURCE__ 


ed  4 


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DATE  DUE                         J 

UNIVERSITY  OF  MASSACHUSETTS 
LIBRARY 

CARD 


PRACTICAL  TREATISE 

ON    THE 

CULTIVATION 

OP 

THE    GRAPE    VINE 

ON  OPEN  WALLS. 

TO    WHICH    IS    ADDED 


A   DESCRIPTIVE   ACCOUNT  OF  AN  IMPROVED   METHOD  OF 

PLAJNTING  AND  MANAGING  THE  ROOTS 

OF  GRAPE  VINES. 


By    clement   HOARE 


FOURTH    AMERICAN    EDITION. 


BOSTON : 
WILLIAM   D.   TICKNOR   &   COMPANY. 

MDCCC  XLVIII. 


iKt  1837,  by 

[LLIAM  B.  TiC'KNORj 
in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


PRINTED    6Y    JOMN   PUTNAM; 
81  Comhill. 


TO  THE  MEMBERS  OF  THE   HORTICULTURAL  SOCIETY  OF 
MASSACHUSETTS. 

Gentlemen, 

Permit  me  to  dedicate  to  you  a  reprint  of  Hoare's  Prac- 
tical Treatise  on  the  Cultivation  of  the  Grape  Vine  on 
OPEN  Walls.  I  am  persuaded  that  a  cursory  perusal  of  it  will 
indicate  the  causes  of  the  general  failure  of  our  vines,  and  that  a 
strict  adherence  to  the  severe  discipline  so  clearly  illustrated  by 
the  author,  will  restore  the  confidence  of  the  horticulturists  of 
Boston  and  its  vicinity  in  the  capacity  of  their  climate  to  mature 
in  the  open  air  some  of  the  best  varieties  of  foreign- grapes. 

This  Treatise  has  been  submitted  to  the  judgment  of  a  distin- 
guished horticulturist ;  his  unqualified  approbation  of  the  work  is 
annexed,  and  will  receive  from  the  reader  the  respect  which  has 
been  long  rendered  to  his  experience. 

That  this  work  may  renew  the  zeal  of  those  of  your  members 
who  have  labored  long  in  the  vineyard  without  adequate  reward, 
is  the  wish,  Gentlemen, 

Of  yours,  respectfully, 

GEORGE  W.  BRIMMER. 
Boston f  September  i,  1837. 


LETTER. 


To  G.  W.  Brimmer,  Esq. 

I  return  you  the  Treatise  on  the  Cultivation  of  the 
Grape  Vine  on  open  Walls,  by  Mr.  Hoare,  with  many  thanks 
for  your  kindness  in  leaving  it  so  long-  in  my  hands.  I  have  read 
this  little  book  with  great  pleasure  and  interest,  and  have  derived 
much  valuable  information  from  its  pages.  The  general  princi- 
ples laid  down  by  the  author,  although  applied  to  the  culture  of 
the  vine  on  open  walls,  are,  in  my  opinion,  highly  valuable  as 
fundamental  rules  for  the  treatment  of  this  plant  in  all  situations, 
whether  indoor  or  out,  on  open  walls  or  open  trellisses,  in  town 
or  country, — in  fact,  wherever  the  grape  vine  is  cultivated  as  an 
edible  fruit.  Although  Mr.  Hoare 's  mode  of  training  the  vine 
differs  essentially  from  that  commonly  practised  by  gardeners,  yet 
the  leading  principle  of  his  practice  will  apply  equally  well  to  the 
training  of  vines  on  rafters  in  grape  houses;  and  I  am  by  no 
means  sure,  that  where  the  roof  of  the  house  alone  is  appropria- 
ted to  the  cultivation  of  this  fruit,  that  his  mode  of  training  might 
not  be  adopted  with  advantage  even  under  glass.  I  have  been 
for  many  years  in  the  habit  of  raising  bearing  shoots  from  arms 
formed  in  the  manner  described  by  Mr.  Hoare  ;  but  I  have  unfor- 
tunately allowed  those  arms  to  extend  too  far  from  the  stem  of  the 
vine,  and  the  consequences  pointed  out  by  him  have  been  invaria- 
bly produced  throughout  my  grape-houses.  I  have  eight  or  ten 
vines  of  this  description,  of  an  age  and  size  to  be  put  into  bearing 
during  the  next  year  and  the  year  after,  and  which  have  not  been 
allowed  to  injure  themselves  by  bearing.  I  trust  I  may  be  able 
to  test  his  practice  on  these  vines,  by  adhering  strictly  to  his  rules. 
1* 


VI  LETTER. 

Under  Mr.  Hoare's  plan  of  cultivation,  any  man  who  owns  a 
brick  house  in  any  town  not  north  of  Massachusetts,  may,  if  his 
yard  be  open  to  the  south  in  any  degree,  raise  as  many  grapes  as 
will  supply  his  family,  without  an  expense  of  more  time  or  money 
than  is  usually  wasted  in  idleness.  Indeed,  on  the  common 
wooden  houses  and  fences  with  which  our  yards  are  surrounded, 
good  and  abundant  crops  may  be  had  by  putting  up  cheap  trellis- 
ses,  which  would  be  paid  for  in  two  or  three  years  after  the  vines 
get  into  bearing.  But  the  rules  laid  down  by  Mr.  Hoare  must  be 
adhered  to,  especially  in  not  attempting  to  fruit  the  vines  before 
they  are  of  a  proper  age  and  size;  when  I  fully  believe  that  pa- 
tience will  be  amply  compensated. 

I  hope  you  will  think  it  worth  while  to  have  Mr.  Hoare's  Trea- 
tise reprinted,  as  it  will  induce  many  persons,  who  have  means, 
to  undertake  the  cultivation  of  this  healthful  and  delicious  fruit ; 
and,  by  their  example,  will  lead  to  a  general  propagation  of  the 
vine  throughout  the  State. 

Very  respectfully, 

Your  ob't  Servant, 

SAMUEL  G.   PERKINS. 

Brookline,  September  1,  1837. 


TO  THE  RIGHT  HONORABLE,  THE  EARL  OF  ARRAN. 

My  Lord, 

I  feel  great  pleasure  in  dedicating  the  following  Treatise  on  the 
Vine  to  your  Lordship,  as  the  warm  and  generous  patron  of  every 
improvement  in  the  science  of  horticulture. 

In  endeavoring  to  disseminate  the  knowledge  of  an  improved 
mode  of  cultivating  the  grape  vine,  and  thereby  to  open  almost  a 
new  source  of  agreeable  domestic  enjoyment,  and  of  profitable 
recreation,  I  consider  it  an  honor  to  receive  the  powerful  aid  of 
your  Lordship's  countenance  and  approbation. 

In  the  earnest  hope  that  Providence  may  be  pleased  to  prolong 
for  many  years  the  benevolent  and  useful  life  of  your  Lordship,  I 
beg  to  subscribe  myself, 

With  great  respect, 

Your  Lordship's  obliged 
And  humble  Servant, 

THE  AUTHOR. 


ADVERTISEMENT 


TO    THE    THIRD    EDITION. 


The  Author  cannot  permit  a  new  edition  of  his  Treatise  on  the 
Vine  to  appear,  without  expressing  the  great  pleasure  he  derives, 
in  witnessing  the  rapid  progress  that  the  principles  of  Vine  cul- 
ture, promulgated  in  its  columns,  have  made,  since  they  were  firs-t 
brought  under  the  notice  of  the  public.  Two  large  editions  have 
been  sold,  and  the  demand  is  daily  increasing.  The  Author, 
therefore,  flatters  himself,  that  he  may  now,  without  being  guilty 
of  presumption,  consider  his  Treatise  as  the  standard  work  of 
reference  in  that  branch  of  horticulture  of  which  it  treats  ;  more 
particularly  so,  since  the  major  part  of  the  writers  in  horticultural 
periodicals,  and  other  works,  which  from  time  to  time  profess  to 
give  directions  for  the  management  of  Vines,  are  in  the  constant 
practice  of  quoting  from  his  Treatise,  (but  in  general  without  ac- 
knowledgment,) the  directions  therein  contained,  and  the  princi- 
ples upon  which  they  are  founded. 

Shirley  Vineyard,  near  Sonthampion, 
July  1,   1841. 


PREFACE. 


There  is  not,  that  I  am  aware  of,  any  work  extant  in  the 
English  language,  that  exclusively  treats  of  the  vine,  except  the 
"  Treatise  on  the  Culture  of  the  Vine,''''  written  by  Speechly,  in 
the  year  1789.  That  work,  however,  though  undoubtedly  a  val- 
uable one,  and  showing  on  the  part  of  the  author  a  thorough 
practical  knowledge  of  the  nature  of  the  vine,  in  reference  to  its 
culture  under  glass,  is  yet  not  sufficiently  full  nor  explicit  with 
regard  to  the  management  of  that  plant,  when  cultivated  on  open 
walls.  Hence  the  principal  reason  of  the  appearance  of  this 
volume. 

In  compiling  it,  I  have  endeavored,  in  as  plain  and  as  concise 
a  manner  as  the  nature  of  the  subject  would  admit,  to  embody  all 
the  necessary  points  of  culture,  with  the  principles  on  which  they 
are  founded,  and  also  to  arrange  them  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
make  their  practical  application  a  matter  of  easy  attainment.  I 
have  also  excluded  everything  of  a  technical  nature,  and  have,  in 
many  instances,  not  scrupled  to  use  a  phraseology  different  from 
that  usually  employed  by  writers  on  horticulture.  In  adopting 
this  course,  my  object  has  been  to  render  the  work  more  generally 
useful,  and  especially  so  to  the  more  humble  part  of  the  rural 
population,  by  enabling  them  to  avail  themselves  without  difficul- 
ty of  the  directions  contained  in  it,  and  thereby  the  more  readily 
to  induce  them  to  turn  their  attention  to  the  cultivation  of  a  plant 
which  is  capable  of  adding  to  their  comforts  and  increasing  their 
enjoyments  in  a  much  greater  degree  than  has  been  hitherto  sup- 
posed. 


X  PREFACE. 

The  details  of  many  operations  relative  to  the  culture  of  the 
vine,  that  have  been  heretofore  inserted  in  vi^orks  on  gardening, 
have  been  excluded  in  the  present  work,  for  the  simple,  and  I 
trust,  satisfactory  reason,  that  the  operations  themselves,  when 
submitted  to  the  test  of  experience,  have  been  found  either  of 
uncertain  issue  or  of  very  questionable  utility. 

It  remains  only  to  observe,  that  although  the  routine  of  man- 
agement recommended  in  the  following  pages  is  the  result  of 
many  years'  diligent  investigation,  andof  patient  observation,  and 
rests  therefore  on  the  firm  basis  of  actual  experience,  I  have  no 
reason  to  expect,  nor  do  I  desire,  indeed,  that  this  Treatise  should 
be  considered  as  worthy  of  the  patronage  of  the  public,  otherwise 
than  in  proportion  to  the  value  and  usefulness  of  the  improve- 
ments it  is  designed  to  introduce  in  the  culture  of  that  most 
grateful  of  all  fruit  trees,  the  Grape  Vine. 

CLEMENT  HOARE. 


CONTENTS. 


Chap. 

I.  Introduction,         ..... 
11.  Observations  on  the  present  method  of  cultivating 
Grape  Vines  on  open  walls,  .  .  . 

III.  On  the  capability  and  extent  of  the  fruit-bearing 

powers  of  the  Vine,    . 

IV.  On  Aspect,    . 
V.  On  Soil, 

A^I.  On  Manure,    . 
VII.  On  the  construction  of  Walls, 
VIII.  On  the  propagation  of  Vines, 
IX.  On  the  pruning  of  Vines, 
X.  On  the  training  of  Vines, 
XI.  On  the  management  of  a  Vine 

years  of  its  growth, 
XII.  Weekly  Calendarial  Register, 

XIII.  General  Autumnal  pruning, 

XIV.  On  the  Winter  management  of  the  Vine, 

XV.  On  the  planting  and  management  of  Vines  in  the 

public  thoroughfare  of  towns, 
XVI.  Descriptive  Catalogue  of  twelve  sorts  of  Grapes  most 
suitably  adapted  for  culture  on  open  walls, 


during  the  first  five 


Page. 
13 

20 

26 
37 
42 
51 

58 
65 
70 

81 

90 

99 

123 

130 

133 

140 


On  Planting  and  Managing  the  Roots  of  Grape  Vines,      147 


ON  THE 


CULTIVATION  OF  THE  GRAPE  VINE 

ON   OPEN   WALLS. 


CHAPTER  L 


NTRODUCTION 


The  Grape  Vine,  Vitis  Vinifera.    Class  and  order,  Pentandria 
MoNOGYNiA  of  Linnaeus. 

"The  grape  vine  is  a  trailing,  deciduous,  hardy- 
shrub,  with  a  twisted,  irregular  stem,  and  long  flexi- 
ble branches,  decumbent,  like  those  of  the  bramble, 
or  supporting  themselves,  when  near  other  trees,  by- 
means  of  tendrils,  like  the  pea.  The  leaves  are  large, 
lobed,  entire,  or  serrated  and  downy,  or  smooth ; 
green  in  summer,  but  when  mature,  those  of  varieties 
in  which  the  predominating  color  is  red,  constantly 
change  to,  or  are  tinged  with  some  shade  of  that 
color;  and  those  of  white,  green,  or  yellow  grapes, 
as  constantly  change  to  a  yellow,  and  are  never  in 
the  least  tinged  either  with  purple,  red,  or  scarlet. 
The  breadth  of  the  leaves  varies  from  five  to  seven 
or  ten  inches,  and  the  length  of  the  footstalks  from 
four  to  eight  inches.  The  flowers  are  produced  on 
the  shoots  of  the  same  year,  which  shoots  generally 
proceed  from  those  of  the  year  preceding;  they  are 
in  the  form  of  a  raceme,  of  a  greenish-white  color, 
and  fragrant  odor,  appearing  in  the  open  air  in  this 
2 


14  INTRODUCTION. 

country  in  June ;  and  the  fruit,  wliich  is  of  the  berry- 
kind,  attains  such  maturity  as  the  season  and  situa- 
tion admit,  by  the  middle  or  end  of  September.  The 
berry  or  grape  is  generally  globular,  but  often  ovate, 
oval,  oblong,  or  finger-shaped;  the  colors  green,  white, 
red,  yellow,  amber,  and  black,  or  a  variegation  of  two 
or  more  of  these  colors.  The  skin  is  smooth,  the 
pulp  and  juice  of  a  dulcet,  poignant,  elevated,  gen- 
erous flavor.  Every  berry  ought  to  enclose  five  small 
heart  or  pear-shaped  stones;  though,  as  some  gen- 
erally fail,  they  have  seldom  more  than  three, — and 
some  varieties,  as  they  attain  a  certain  age,  as  the 
ascalon,  or  sultana  raisin,  none.  The  weight  of  a 
berry,  depends  not  only  on  its  size,  but  on  the  thick- 
ness of  its  skin,  and  texture  of  the  flesh,  the  lightest 
being  the  thin-skinned  and  juicy  sorts,  as  the  sweet- 
water  or  muscadine." — Loudon^ s  EncyclopcBdia  of 
Gardening. 

Of  all  the  productions  of  the  vegetable  world, 
which  the  skill  and  ingenuity  of  man  have  rendered 
conducive  to  his  comfort,  and  to  the  enlargement  of 
the  sphere  of  his  enjoyments,  and  the  increase  of  his 
pleasurable  gratifications,  the  Vine  stands  forward  as 
the  most  pre-eminently  conspicuous.  Its  quickness 
of  growth, — the  great  age  to  which  it  will  live ;  so 
great  indeed  as  to  be  unknown, — its  almost  total  ex- 
emption from  all  those  adverse  contingencies  which 
blight  and  diminish  the  produce  of  other  fruit-bearing 
trees, — its  astonishing  vegetative  powers, — its  won- 
derful fertility, — and  its  delicious  fruit,  applicable  to 
so  many  purposes,  and  agreeable  to  all  palates,  in  all 
its  varied  shapes,  combine  to  mark  it  out  as  one  of 
the  greatest  blessings  bestowed  by  Providence  to  pro- 
mote the  comfort  and  enjoyments  of  the  human  race. 
From  the  remotest  records  of  antiquity,  the  vine 
has  been  celebrated,  in  all  ages,  as  the  type  of  plenty, 
and  the  symbol  of  happiness.  The  pages  of  Scrip- 
ture abound  with  allusions  to  the  fertility  of  the  vine 
as  emblematical  of  prosperity;   and  it  is  emphatically 


INTRODUCTION.  15 

declared,  in  describing  the  peaceful  and  flourishing 
state  of  the  kingdom  of  Israel  during  the  reign  of 
Solomon,  that  "  Judah  and  Israel  dwelt  safely,  every 
man  under  his  vine  and  under  his  fig-tree,  from  Dan 
even  to  Beersheba."  The  source  of  enjoyment  thus 
mentioned  to  record  the  happy  state  of  the  Jewish 
nation,  may  be,  with  reference  to  the  vine,  literally 
possessed  by  the  greater  portion  of  the  inhabitants  of 
this  island. 

The  native  country  of  the  vine  is  generally  con- 
sidered to  be  Persia,  but  it  has  been  found  wild  in 
America,  and  is  now  become  naturalized  in  all  the 
temperate  regions  of  the  world.  In  the  northern 
hemisphere,  it  forms  an  important  branch  of  rural 
economy,  from  the  21st  to  the  51st  parallel  of  lati- 
tude ;  and  by  an  improved  method  of  culture,  very 
fine  grapes  may  be  annually  grown  on  the  surface  of 
walls,  in  the  open  air,  as  far  north  as  the  54th  parallel, 
and  even  beyond  that  in  favorable  seasons. 

The  vine  is  supposed  to  have  been  introduced  into 
Britain  at  the  commencement  of  the  Christian  era ; 
and  history  amply  proves,  that  for  a  long  series  of 
ages,  vineyards  were  very  common  in  the  southern 
parts  of  this  island,  and  that  the  quantity  of  wine 
produced  from  them  was  so  great  as  to  be  considered 
one  of  the  staple  products  of  the  land.  From  some 
cause  or  other,  however,  they  have  fallen  into  general 
neglect,  although  good  grapes  might  be  grown  on 
vines  trained  as  espaliers,  or  in  the  same  manner  as  in 
the  vineyards  abroad,  from  which  excellent  wine 
could  be  made,  at  a  cost  that  would  not  exceed  that 
of  moderately  strong  beer.  Why  vineyards  should 
have  so  completely  disappeared,  it  is  difficult  to  say, 
since  there  are  many  thousands  of  acres  of  poor  land, 
that  are  of  little  value  in  an  agricultural  point  of  view, 
but  on  which  vines  would  flourish,  and  produce  abun- 
dant crops  of  grapes,  and  yield  thereby  a  most  profita- 
ble return. 

Vines   are   now  cultivated   in   this  country,  only 


16  INTRODUCTION. 

against  walls,  upon  the  roofs  of  buildings,  and  under 
glass.  The  expense  attending  the  growing  of  grapes 
under  glass,  is  such,  however,  as  obviously  to  place 
that  method  out  of  the  reach  of  the  mass  of  the 
people ;  and  vineyard  culture,  now  that  it  has  fallen 
into  disuse,  is,  perhaps,  considered  so  much  in  the 
light  of  a  commercial  speculation,  that  those  who 
possess  the  means  of  practising  it,  are  deterred  from 
employing  them,  from  an  apprehension  that  the  risk 
and  uncertainty  attending  it,  would  prove  more  than 
sufficient  to  counterbalance  its  advantages.  But  the 
cultivation  of  vines  on  open  walls  being  free  from 
these  and  all  other  objections,  presents  an  advan- 
tageous method  of  producing  grapes,  which  may  be 
embraced  by  every  person  who  has  at  his  command  a 
few  square  feet  of  the  surface  of  a  wall.  This  mode 
of  culture,  indeed,  offers  to  the  possessors  of  houses, 
buildings,  and  walled  gardens,  and  even  to  the  most 
humble  cottager,  ample  means  of  procuring,  with  the 
greatest  certainty,  an  abundant  supply  of  this  most 
valuable  fruit.  It  is  not  too  much  to  assert,  that  the 
surface  of  the  walls  of  every  cottage  of  a  medium 
size,  that  is  applicable  to  the  training  of  vines,  is 
capable  of  producing,  annually,  as  many  grapes  as 
Avould  be  worth  half  the  amount  of  its  rental.  Every 
square  foot  of  the  surface  of  a  wall,  may,  in  a  short 
space  of  time,  be  covered  with  bearing  wood,  suffi- 
cient to  produce  on  an  average  a, pound  weight  of 
grapes,  and  I  have  frequently  grown  double  that 
quantity  on  a  similar  extent  of  surface. 

From  this  it  will  be  seen  how  valuable  the  surfaces 
of  walls  are,  and  what  advantages  are  lost  by  those 
who  suffer  any  portion  of  them  to  remain  vacant. 
Nor  must  it  be  supposed,  that  a  single  vine  requires 
for  its  training  a  large  portion  of  walling.  That  it 
does,  I  am  aware,  is  a  very  common  notion,  but  it  is 
a  very  erroneous  one,  and  one  that  has,  no  doubt, 
arisen  from  the  universally  defective  method  of 
pruning  and  managing  that  plant ;  whereby  the  wood 


INTRODUCTION.  17 

is  sutfered,  and,  indeed,  encouraged  to  extend  itself 
most  disproportionately  beyond  the  capability  of  its 
fruit-bearing  powers.  I  scarcely  ever  allot  more  than 
from  forty  to  fifty  square  feet  of  surface  for  one  vine, 
and  unless  the  soil  and  situation  be  very  superior 
indeed,  a  single  vine  will  require  a  space  of  time  not 
less  than  twenty  years  at  least,  before  it  will  possess 
a  sufficient  degree  of  strength,  to  enable  it  to  mature, 
annually,  a  greater  quantity  of  grapes  than  can  be 
trained  on  the  last-mentioned  extent  of  surface.  On 
a  wall  only  twenty-five  inches  in  height,  and  eighteen 
feec  in  length,  I  have  for  years  trained  a  vine  that  is 
a  perfect  picture  of  fertility,  the  whole  surface  of  the 
wall  being,  every  year,  literally  covered  with  fine 
grapes  close  down  to  the  very  stem  of  the  plant.  It 
will  thus  be  seen,  that  small  detached  portions  and 
vacant  spaces  of  the  surface  of  walls,  which,  in  in- 
numerable instances  are  deemed  of  no  value,  and  are 
therefore  neglected,  may  be  turned  to  a  most  benefi- 
cial account  in  the  production  of  the  fruit  of  the 
vine. 

And  with  reference  to  the  importance  of  the  cul- 
ture of  the  vine,  as  affording  a  most  valuable  and 
highly  esteemed  fruit,  it  deserves  especial  remark, 
that  for  the  making  of  wine,  not  only  are  ripened 
grapes  applicable  to  that  purpose,  but  from  the  leaves, 
tendrils,  and  young  shoots  of  vines,  and  also  from 
unripe  or  immature  grapes,  very  fine  wine  may  be 
made,  differing  in  no  respect  from  many  sorts  of 
wines  imported  from  abroad,  as  the  following  extract 
from  Dr.  MaccuUoch's  '-Remarks  on  the  Art  of  mak- 
ing Wine,"  will  sufficiently  show. 

"  Chemical  examination  has  proved,  that  the  young 
shoots,  the  tendrils,  and  the  leaves  of  the  vine,  pos- 
sess properties,  and  contain  substances,  exactly  similar 
to  the  crude  fruit.  It  was  no  unnatural  conclusion 
that  they  might  equally  be  used  for  the  purposes  of 
making  wine.  Experiments  were  accordmgly  insti- 
tuted in  France  for  this  purpose,  and  they  have  been 
2* 


18  INTRODUCTION. 

repeated  here  with  success.  From  vine  leaves,  water, 
and  sugar,  wines  have  been  thus  produced,  in  no 
respect  differing  from  the  produce  of  the  immature 
fruit,  and  consequently  resembhng  wines  of  foreign 
growth." 

Here,  then,  is  a  most  important  advantage  resulting 
from  the  culture  of  the  vine,  and  one,  indeed,  that  is 
little  inferior  to  that  which  is  derived  from  the  pro- 
duction of  the  ripened  fruit  itself  And  in  order  that 
it  may  be  properly  estimated,  it  must  be  borne  in 
mind,  that  throughout  the  growing  season,  the  super- 
abundant foliage  of  a  vine,  which  consists  chiefly  of 
the  extremities  of  the  shoots,  and  the  tendrils,  is  so 
great,  as  to  require  to  be  plucked  off  once  in  every 
seven  days,  if  not  oftener.  It  is  further  stated  in 
the  above-mentioned  work,  that  from  forty  to  fifty 
pounds'  weight  of  leaves,  &c.  will  produce  about  ten 
gallons  of  wine. 

Now,  every  hundred  square  feet  of  the  surface  of  a 
wall  when  covered  with  the  foliage  of  vines  in  vigor- 
ous growth,  will  yield  on  an  average,  every  week 
from  the  middle  of  May  to  the  first  of  August,  two 
pounds'  weight  of  excess  of  fohage.  Allowing, 
therefore,  the  surface  of  the  walls  of  a  common-sized 
cottage  to  contain  five  hundred  square  feet,  on  which 
vines  could  be  trained,  it  appears,  that  during  the 
eleven  weeks  above  mentioned,  they  would  yield  a 
suflacient  quantity  of  foliage  to  produce  upwards  of 
twenty  gallons  of  wine,  which  could  be  made  for  the 
mere  cost  of  the  sugar  ! 

Again,  there  would  be  a  considerable  quantity  of 
foliage  to  spare,  during  the  remaining  months  of 
August  and  September,  to  which  must  be  added  the 
excess  in-  the  number  of  bunches  of  green  fruit, 
which  require  cutting  off  after  the  berries  are  set,  in 
order  to  avoid  overcropping  the  vines,  and  which 
sometimes  amount  to  a  great  number ;  and  also  the 
berries  that  are  cut  out  in  the  thinning  of  the 
bunches,  the  weight  of  which  is  always  considerable; 


INTRODUCTION.  19 

and  these  being  added  to  the  former,  would,  at  the 
most  moderate  calculation,  yield  in  the  whole,  thirty 
gallons  of  wine,  thus  produced  from  the  superabun- 
dant foliage  and  green  fruit  of  vines  trained  on  the 
surface  of  a  cottage !  Bearing  in  mind,  therefore, 
these  important  facts,  Avhich  cannot  be  controverted, 
it  will,  I  think,  be  readily  acknowledged,  that  too 
great  a  degree  of  importance  can  scarcely  be  attached 
to  the  cultivation  of  the  vine. 

The  management  of  this  plant  is  in  itself,  also,  one 
of  the  most  pleasing,  and  most  interesting  branches 
of  horticultural  practice.  And,  it  may  with  truth  be 
asserted,  that  of  all  the  occupations  that  can  be 
resorted  to  for  the  purposes  of  recreation,  those  con- 
nected with  the  garden  are  the  most  delightful. 
From  these,  indeed,  spring  many  of  the  most  elegant 
enjoyments  of  life,  and  the  exercise  of  them  is  at 
once  a  source  of  health,  of  contentment,  and  of  unal- 
loyed, and  tranquillizing  pleasure.  So  congenial  to 
our  ideas  of  happiness,  is  the  recreation  afibrded  by 
a  garden,  that  there  is  scarcely  any  one  to  whom  the 
possession  of  it  is  not  an  object  of  strong  desire. 

Yet,  to  a  very  numerous  class  of  persons,  the  in- 
habitants of  towns,  this  source  of  enjoyment  is  in  a 
great  measure  cut  off. 

The  vine,  however,  can  be  cultivated  equally  as 
well  in  a  town  as  in  the  country,  and,  in  very  many 
instances,  the  means  for  that  purpose  are  possessed  in 
a  much  greater  degree  than  in  the  country.  The  im- 
mense accumulation  of  buildings  in  towns,  and  their 
suburban  districts,  and  also  those  of  the  metropolis  it- 
self, present  an  astonishing  extent  of  surface  of  wall- 
ing,  well  calculated  to  ripen  the  fruit  of  the  vine. 
The  only  obstacle  to  the  growth  of  that  plant  in 
towns,  is  the  impurity  of  the  atmosphere;  but  though 
this  impediment  is  sufficiently  formidable,  certainly, 
it  exists  only  in  the  heart  of  London,  and  its  dense 
and  crowded  districts,  and  in  those  of  other  large 
towns. 


20  PRESENT    METHOD    OF    CULTIVATING 

I  am  persuaded,  therefore,  that,  if  the  method  of 
cultivating  the  vine  on  correct  principles,  and  the 
certainty  which,  under  proper  management,  never  fails 
to  attend  the  production  of  its  fruit,  were  more  gener- 
ally known,  its  propagation  and  culture  would  in- 
crease both  in  town  and  country,  to  an  extent  that  at 
present  can  scarcely  be  conceived. 

It  is  for  the  purpose  of  diffusing  a  mode  of  cultivat- 
ing this  valuable  plant,  which  is  more  definite  and 
simple  in  its  nature  than  any  that  has  hitherto  been 
promulgated,  and  by  v/hich  the  quantity  of  its  fruit 
may  be  prodigiously  increased,  and  the  flavor  greatly 
improved,  that  the  following  pages  have  been  written. 
It  is  hoped  that  the  whole  management  of  the  vine  is 
therein  made  sufficiently  clear,  to  enable  every  person 
Avho  possesses  facilities  for  the  growing  of  grapes  to 
employ  them  in  the  most  advantageous  manner,  in 
the  production  of  this  highly  esteemed  fruit. 


CHAPTER  II. 

OBSERVATIONS     ON     THE    PRESENT    METHOD     OF     CULTIVAT- 
ING   GRAPE    VINES    ON    OPEN    WALLS. 

There  is,  I  believe,  no  branch  of  practical  horticul- 
ture, which  the  possessors  of  gardens  are  so  deficient 
in  the  knowledge  of,  as  in  that  which  embraces  the 
culture  of  the  grape  vine;  and  yet,  singular  as  it  may 
appear,  there  is  no  fruit-tree  of  any  description  that 
grows  in  this  country,  that  can  be  depended  upon 
with  such  certainty  for  a  full  crop,  or  that  will  yield 
so  ample  a  return,  as  a  vine  judiciously  cultivated  on 
an  open  wall. 

Let  any  person,  in  the  month  of  September,  make  a 


GRAPE    VINES    ON    OPEN    WALLS.  21 

tour  of  inspection  through  the  southern  counties  of 
England,  in  whicli  nearly  every  cottage  may  be  seen 
with  a  grape  vine  trained  on  its  Avails.  Let  him  stop 
at  intervals  in  his  journey,  and  select  any  number  of 
vines  for  examination,  and  carefully  estimate  the 
weight  of  fruit  growing  on  each,  and  the  extent  of 
walling  occupied  in  producing  that  fruit ;  and  having 
calculated  the  average  weight  grown  on  every  square 
foot  of  walling,  let  him  then  be  told,  which  he  may 
be  with  truth,  that,  at  least,  ^i;e  times  the  quantity  of 
grapes  of  superior  flavor  might  be  annually  produced 
on  the  same  extent  of  surface.  Let  him  also  select 
any  given  district,  and  estmiate  the  number  of  super- 
ficial feet  of  walling,  which  the  buildings  in  that  dis- 
trict contain,  and  on  which  nothing  whatever  is 
grown,  or  at  least  nothing  of  any  value,  and  which 
might  at  a  trifling  cost  of  time  and  trouble,  be  annu- 
ally covered  with  fine  crops  of  grapes,  and  he  will 
find  to  his  astonishment,  that  for  every  square  foot  on 
which  vines  are  trained,  there  are  at  least  twenty 
square  feet  that  are  either  entirely  vacant,  or  occupied 
in  a  useless  manner.  If  he  then  sum  up  his  calcu- 
lations, the  result  will  show,  that,  for  every  pound  of 
grapes  that  is  now  grown,  not  less  than  a  hundred 
pounds  might  be  annually  produced  on  the  existing 
surface  of  walling  without  the  addition  of  a  single 
square  foot !  Nor  let  it  be  supposed  that  this  estimate 
is  made  hypothetically ;  on  the  contrary,  it  is  the  re- 
sult of  actual  inspection  and  careful  observation,  and 
is  considerably  within  the  mark  as  to  the  quantity  of 
grapes  that  might  be  annually  grown.  Every  mode- 
rate-sized dwelling  house  having  a  garden  and  a 
little  walling  attached  to  it,  may,  with  ease,  be  made 
to  produce,  yearly,  a  quarter  of  a  ton  weight  of  grapes, 
leaving  a  sutficient  portion  of  its  surface  for  the  pro- 
duction of  other  fruit. 

It  is  difiicult  to  account  for  the  indiflerence  which 
has  hitherto  been  manifested  towards  the  propagation 
of  the  vine,  or  to  a.ssign  sufficient  reasons,  why  a  fruit 


22  PRESENT    METHOD    OF    CULTIVATING 

SO  universally  esteemed  as  the  grape,  should  have  re- 
mained stationary,  in  respect  to  any  improvement  in 
its  mode  of  culture. 

I  suspect,  however,  that  the  force  of  custom  and 
example  will  be  found  amongst  the  chief  operating 
causes.  Scarcely  any  person,  when  planting  vines 
against  his  premises,  ever  thinks  of  setting  apart  for 
any  one  to  be  trained  on,  a  less  space  of  walling  than 
a  hundred  and  fifty,  or  two  hundred  square  feet,  see- 
ing that  the  universal  practice  is  to  suffer  a  single 
vine  to  cover,  as  quickly  as  possible,  the  entire  surface 
of  one  side  of  a  house  or  building,  or  a  large  portion 
of  that  of  a  garden  wall.  And  this  seems  to  be  done 
under  the  idea,  that  the  more  wood  there  is  in  a  vine, 
the  more  grapes  it  will  produce,  or  that  the  one  will 
be  in  proportion  to  the  other.  It  happens,  however, 
that  the  fact  is  precisely  the  reverse.  If  a  vine  be 
suffered  to  make  a  large  quantity  of  wood,  it  will 
bear  but  little  fruit;  if  it  produce  good  crops  of  fruit, 
it  will  make  but  little  wood;  the  one  checks  the 
other.  To  permit  a  vine,  therefore,  to  make  a  great 
quantity  of  wood,  under  the  idea  of  getting  thereby  a 
great  quantity  of  grapes,  is  completely  grasping  at  the 
substance,  and  catching  the  shadow. 

Another  reason  why  the  method  of  cultivating  the 
vine  on  open  walls  has  remained  stationary,  may  be 
found  in  the  fact,  that  in  the  gardens  of  the  rich, 
where  professed  gardeners  are  kept,  grapes  on  vines 
of  this  description  are  but  seldom  grown  to  any  ex- 
tent, a  sufficient  quantity  for  the  table  being  brought 
to  perfection  under  glass.  Hence  one  of  the  principal 
sources  from  which  improved  modes  of  culture  are,  in 
general,  derived,  is  thus  closed,  and  the  routine  of 
management  of  this  most  valuable  fruit  thereby  con- 
signed to  the  chances  of  empirical  practice. 

The  grand  parent  error  which  prevails  universally 
in  the  cultivation  of  the  vine  on  open  walls,  lies  in 
the  method  of  pruning  usually  adopted,  and  this  is, 
undoubtedly,  the  consequence  of  the  nature  of  the 


GRAPE   VINES    ON    OPEN    WALLS.  23 

plant  and  its  peculiar  characteristics,  being,  in  general, 
but  little  understood.  The  immense  quantity  of 
wood  which  a  vine  annually  produces,  and  the  force 
with  which  its  sap  flows,  causing  its  most  vigorous 
shoots  to  be  formed  at  the  extremities,  render  it  ne- 
cessary, in  order  to  keep  the  plant  in  a  good  bearing 
condition,  and  its  branches  within  a  reasonable  dis- 
tance of  its  stem,  that  the  pruning  knife  should  be 
used  to  a  far  greater  extent  than  is  ever  practised  on 
any  other  description  of  fruit-tree  whatever.  The 
most  severe  manner,  indeed,  in  which  that  instrument 
is  at  any  time  applied  to  other  trees,  is  as  nothing 
when  compared  with  that  required  by  the  vine. 

In  the  course  of  the  growing  season,  a  vine  in  a 
healthy  condition,  will  make  a  quantity  of  bearing- 
wood  sufficient  to  produce  ten  times  as  much  fruit  as 
it  can  bring  to  maturity.  When  this  fact  is  consider- 
ed in  connection  with  another;  namely,  that  the 
wood  which  bears  fruit  one  year,  never  bears  any  af- 
terwards, and  is  therefore  of  no  further  use  in  that 
respect;  it  will  easily  be  seen  to  what  a  surprising 
extent  the  priming  knife  must  be  used,  to  get  rid  of 
the  superabundant  wood  which  the  plant  annually 
produces.  But  nine  parts  out  of  ten  of  the  current 
year's  shoots,  and  all  those  of  the  preceding  year,  if 
possible,  to  be  cut  off' and  thrown  away,  is  apparently 
so  much  beyond  all  reasonable  proportion,  and  the 
rules  usually  observed  in  pruning  other  fruit-trees, 
that  few  persons  ever  possess  the  courage  to  attempt 
it.  And  herein,  as  remarked  before,  lies  the  capital 
error  in  the  common  method  of  managing  the  vine. 

A  vine  in  the  third  or  fourth  year  of  its  growth, 
will  in  general  show  a  few  bunches  of  grapes,  and 
these  are  usually  suffered  to  remain  and  ripen,  in- 
stead of  beij]g  plucked  oft'  as  soon  as  they  appear, 
having  been  produced  before  the  plant  has  sufficient 
strength  to  mature  them  without  injury  to  its  constitu- 
tion. Although  the  quantity  be  small,  it  inflicts  a  se- 
vere blow  on  the  vital  energies  of  the  vine,  from  the 


24  PRESENT    METHOD    OF    CULTIVATING 

exhausting  nature  of  the  process  of  maturation.  At 
the  proper  season  the  pruning  knife  is  appUed,  but  the 
operator  being  in  perfect  ignorance,  as  to  whether  the 
plant  has  sufficient  strength  to  ripen  any  fruit  or  not 
in  the  following  year,  looks  at  the  young  wood,  and 
seeing  four  or  five  good  strong  shoots,  cuts  them  back 
to  as  many  buds  each,  leaving,  perhaps,  twenty  in  the 
whole.  Summer  comes,  and  the  vine  having  been 
seriously  crippled  by  the  premature  ripening  of  fruit 
in  the  precedmg  year,  and  having  now  twenty  shoots 
to  supply  with  nourishment  instead  of  two  or  three, 
the  sap  is  so  diminished  in  quantity,  and  distributed 
also  through  so  many  channels,  that  it  is  incapable  of 
forming  an  inch  of  really  good  bearing-wood.  The 
shoots  protrude,  and  though  small,  produce  a  great 
mass  of  foliage;  the  evaporation  from  this  being  far 
too  great  for  its  loss  to  be  supplied  by  the  roots,  a  lan- 
guid circulation  of  the  juices  of  the  plant  takes  place, 
and  it  receives  thereby  a  most  serious  check  in  its 
growth.  The  result  is,  that,  at  the  end  of  the  season, 
no  shoots  larger  in  size  than  that  of  a  small  wooden 
skewer  are  to  be  seen  except  at  the  extremities. 

The  proper  season  arriving,  the  vine  is  again  pruned, 
and  again  eight  or  ten  times  as  many  buds  are  re- 
tained, as  the  plant  can  nourish.  The  same  dispro- 
portionate mass  of  foliage  follows  of  course,  and  the 
same  exhausting  effects  are  produced  on  the  vital 
powers  of  the  plant.  No  bearing-shoots  are  formed 
except  at  the  extremities,  and  these  being  retained  at 
the  autumnal  pruning,  old  blank  wood  begins  rapidly 
to  cover  the  surface  of  the  wall.  The  method  of 
pruning,  also,  being,  in  general,  what  is  called  the 
spur  method,  tends  more  than  any  other  to  the  perma- 
nent retention  of  old  wood.  And  thus,  the  vine  com- 
mences its  fruit-bearing  life  under  the  most  adverse 
circumstances. 

The  same  mode  of  culture  being  followed  in  yearly 
succession,  the  vine  quickly  spreads  over  its  allotted 
place  of  walling,  exceeding,  perhaps,  two  hundred,  or 


GRAPE    VINES    ON    OPEN    WALLS.  25 

even  three  hundred  superficial  feet.  It  then  contains 
a  vast  number  of  long  and  useless  limbs,  on  which 
may  be  seen  scores  of  excrescences,  dignified  with 
the  name  of  spurs,  producing  in  the  growing  season  a 
superabundance  of  foliage,  but  with  little  fruit,  and 
that  of  an  inferior  description,  and  requiring  in  its 
management  a  tenfold  portion  of  time  and  trouble, 
beyond  what  would  be  necessary  under  a  proper  mode 
of  culture. 

To  these  characteristics  of  the  usual  method  of 
managing  a  vine,  may  be  added  two  others;  namely, 
that  of  suffering  the  stem  and  principal  branches  to 
be  covered  with  several  years'  accumulation  of  decay- 
ed layers  of  bark,  and  of  continually  digging  the  bor- 
der in  which  the  roots  run,  and  cropping  it  with 
vegetables,  even  close  up  to  the  very  stem. 

This  brief  description  of  the  method  of  cultivating 
vines  on  open  walls,  will  apply,  I  believe,  to  ninety- 
nine  out  of  every  hundred  throughout  the  country. 
And  it  may  be  remarked  of  it,  that  during  the  very 
first  year  of  the  plant  having  been  suffered  premature- 
ly to  ripen  fruit,  and  throughout  every  successive 
year  afterwards,  not  a  single  point  of  culture  has 
been  practised,  but  what  may  be  described  as  most 
erroneous.  Every  step  taken  has  been  apparently 
for  the  purpose  of  rearing  a  superstructure  of  old  bar- 
ren wood,  rather  than  the  production  of  abundant 
crops  of  fine  flavored  fruit. 

Can  it  be  a  matter  of  surprise,  therefore,  that  under 
such  a  mode  of  culture,  grapes  grown  on  open  walls, 
do  not,  in  general,  attain  to  a  higher  degree  of  per- 
fection 7 


?6  FRUIT-BEARING    POWERS 


CHAPTER  III. 

ON    THE     CAPABILITY   AND    EXTENT  OF     THE    FRUIT-BEARING 
POWERS    OF    THE    VINE. 

There  is  not  a  single  point  of  culture  in  the  whole 
routine  of  the  management  of  a  vine,  the  knowledge 
of  which  is  of  so  much  importance,  as  that  which  en- 
ables the  cultivator  to  ascertain  with  precision,  the 
greatest  quantity  of  fruit  he  can  annually  extract  from 
it,  without  checking  its  growth,  or  injuring  its  vital 
powers.  The  operation  of  pruning,  if  it  be  not  guided 
by  this,  is  an  operation  performed  perfectly  at  ran- 
dom, and  every  inch  of  bearing-wood  either  cut  out, 
or  retained  under  such  circumstances,  is  done  in  utter 
ignorance  of  the  consequences,  whether  they  will 
ultimately  prove  injurious  or  beneficial  to  the  health 
and  fertility  of  the  plant.  And  yet,  necessary  as  is 
this  knowledge,  and  without  the  guidance  of  which, 
in  pruning,  neither  good  flavored  grapes,  nor  good 
crops,  can  with  certainty  be  annually  obtained,  all 
the  rules  hitherto  laid  down  for  the  pruning  of  vines, 
have  been  promulgated,  unaccompanied  with  the 
slightest  instruction  to  lead  the  pruner  to  a  knowl- 
edge of  this  most  valuable  point  of  culture. 

Such,  however,  is  the  importance  of  proportioning 
tlie  quantity  of  fruit  to  be  matured,  to  the  capability 
of  the  plant,  that  in  Miller's  Gardener's  Dictionary  it 
is  stated,  in  reference  to  the  cultivation  of  the  vine  in 
foreign  countries,  "  that  when  gentlemen  abroad  let 
out  vineyards  to  vignerons,  there  is  always  a  clause 
inserted  in  their  leases,  to  direct  how  many  shoots 
shall  be  left  upon  each  vine,  and  the  number  of  eyes 
to  which  the  branches  must  be  shortened ;  because, 
were  not  the  vignerons  thus  tied  down,  they  would 


OF    THE    VINE.  27 

overbear  the  vines,  so  that  in  a  few  years  they  would 
exhaust  their  roots,  and  render  them  so  weak,  as 
not  to  be  recovered  again  in  several  years,  and  their 
wine  would  be  so  bad,  as  to  bring  a  disreputation  on 
the  vineyard,  to  the  great  loss  of  the  proprietor." 

Here,  then,  is  a  distinct  recognition  of  the  fact, 
that  the  flavor  of  grapes,  and  the  vital  energies  of 
vines,  are  materially  affected  by  overcropping,  and 
that,  to  restrain  the  lessees  of  vineyards  in  foreign 
countries  from  practising  so  injurious  a  course  of  cul- 
ture, the  number  of  eyes  to  be  left  on  each  vine  is  ac- 
tually limited,  and  even  made  the  subject  of  special 
contract.  Now,  if  it  be  necessary  to  observe  such  a 
rule  in  countries  that  are  congenial  to  the  growth  of 
the  vine,  and  where,  from  its  forming  an  important 
branch  of  rural  economy,  it  may  be  reasonably  pre- 
sumed, that  the  true  nature  of  the  plant  is  well  under- 
stood ;  how  much  more  so  must  it  be  in  the  latitude 
of  Great  Britain,  where,  from  the  deficiency  of  solar 
heat,  and  the  variableness  of  the  climate,  a  much 
greater  portion  of  the  vital  energy  of  the  vine  is  put 
in  requisition  to  ripen  the  fruit? 

And  yet,  who  has  ever  seen,  in  the  English  prac- 
tice of  pruning  vines,  any  rule  observed  of  the  above- 
mentioned  nature  ?  In  short,  the  common  method  of 
pruning  vines  on  open  walls  is  the  most  random  ope- 
ration imaginable. 

In  very  warm  summers,  the  juices  of  a  vine  plant 
are  more  highly  elaborated  than  usual,  the  sap  being 
inspissated,  or  thickened  in  a  greater  degree  by  the 
increase  of  solar  heat,  in  consequence  of  which,  it  is 
rendered  more  productive  of  fruit-buds  than  leaf-l3uds. 
Shoots  that  are  considerably  less  in  size  than  those 
which  bear  fruit  in  ordinary  summers,  will,  after  being 
ripened  in  such  a  summer,  produce  fine  grapes  in  the 
following  season;  it  is  next  to  impossible,  therefore, 
to  prune  a  vme  when  all  the  shoots  are  thus  well 
ripened,  so  as  not  to  bear  a  good  crop  of  fruit  in  the 
ensuing   year.      Indeed,    a   person   blindfolded   may 


28  ,     FRUIT-BEARING    POWERS 

then  take  a  common  sickle,  and  chop  away  at  a  vine 
right  and  left,  and  if  he  chance  to  leave  any  young 
wood  at  all  remaining,  that  wood  will  produce  fruit, 
because  nearly  every  bud  formed  in  such  a  summer 
becomes  a  fruit-bud.  In  the  following  year,  almost 
every  vine,  however  injudiciously  managed,  will  be 
seen  loaded  with  fruit,  and  the  year  is  then  called  "a 
grape  year."  In  such  years  I  have  frequently  seen 
vines,  groaning  as  it  were  beneath  their  prodigious 
number  of  bimches,  and  have  on  sach  occasions  inva- 
riably pointed  out  to  the  owners  of  them,  the  cer- 
tainty of  the  plants  being  crippled  for  many  years  to 
come,  if  the  whole  quantity  produced  were  suifered 
to  remain  and  ripen ;  but  no  representation  of  this 
sort  made  by  me  to  any  one,  whether  gardener  or 
otherwise,  ever  had,  in  any  instance,  the  effect  of 
causing  the  excess  in  the  quantity  to  be  reduced,  even 
by  a  single  bunch.  So  deeply  rooted  seems  to  be  the 
belief,  that  because  a  vine  shotvs  a  greater  number  of 
bunches  of  grapes,  it  can,  therefore,  ripen  them. 

Many  years  ago  1  was  led  to  consider  the  necessity 
of  ascertaining  the  extent  of  the  fruit-bearing  powers 
of  vines,  in  order  to  insure  their  successful  culture, 
by  founding  thereon  a  system  of  pruning,  which 
should  be  simple  in  practice,  and  certain  in  its  effects; 
being  based  on  the  principle  of  proportioning  the 
quantity  of  bearing-wood  retained  at  the  autumnal 
pruning,  to  the  capability  of  their  powers  of  matura- 
tion. For  the  attainment  of  that  object,  therefore,  I 
commenced  a  series  of  experiments  on  a  great  num- 
ber of  vines  of  various  ages  and  sorts,  and  trained  on 
every  variety  of  aspect,  south  of,  and  includmg  the 
eastern  and  western  points  of  the  horizon. 

Knowing  by  previous  experience,  that  it  was  possi- 
ble to  load  a  vine  with  such  a  quantity  of  fruit,  as 
would  completely  deprive  it  of  life  in  its  endeavors 
to  mature  it,  and  assuming  that  the  circumference  of 
the  stem  of  the  plant  would  form  a  true  index  to  its 
vital  powers,  unless  these  had  been  injured  by  over- 


OP    THE   VINE.  29 

bearing,  several  vines  remarkably  vigorous  in  growth, 
and  which  had  been,  for  three  years  previously, 
closely  pruned,  were  in  the  first  place  selected  for 
trial,  for  the  purpose  of  discovering  that  quantity. 
That  point  having  been  ascertained,  it  was  intended 
then  to  select,  in  every  succeeding  year,  a  fresh  set  of 
vines,  and  to  reduce,  annually,  the  weight  of  fruit  to 
be  borne  by  each  of  them,  until  the  actual  quantity 
which  any  vine,  in  proportion  to  the  circumference 
of  its  stem,  can  perfectly  mature  without  injury  to 
its  vital  powers,  was  correctly  ascertained. 

In  accordance  with  this  intention,  the  vines  first 
selected,  as  above  mentioned,  were  pruned  in  the 
autumn  of  1825,  and  as  much  bearing- wood  retained, 
as  was  supposed  would  produce  sufficient  fruit,  either 
to  kill  them,  or  cripple  them  for  many  years  to  come. 
The  number  of  buds  retained  on  each  vine,  and  the 
circumference  of  its  stem,  were  carefully  registered ; 
the  ensuing  summer  of  1S26  afibrded  a  remarkably 
fine  vintage,  and  was,  therefore,  a  highly  favorable 
year  for  trial. 

To  describe  the  results,  which  with  little  variation 
were  the  same  in  all,  one  vine  may  be  advantageous- 
ly selected.  This  was  a  white  muscadine,  in  the 
eighth  year  of  its  age,  and,  like  all  the  rest,  in  the 
highest  bearing-condition  possible.  It  produced  in 
the  following  spring  an  abundant  supply  of  vigorous 
bearing-shoots,  and  showed  seventy-eight  bunches  of 
fine  grapes,  the  produce  of  twenty-nine  buds,  retained 
on  two  horizontal  right  and  left  shoots.  As  the 
season  advanced,  the  shoots  extended  themselves 
rapidly,  the  bunches  of  fruit  increased  in  size,  and 
the  vine  thrived  as  well  as  usual,  seemingly  quite 
unconscious  of  the  task  it  shortly  had  to  perform. 
Blossoming  being  over,  and  the  fruit  set,  the  trial  of 
strength  commenced.  On  the  first  of  July  many  of 
the  bunches  measured  eleven  inches  from  the  shoul- 
ders to  the  extremities,  and  when  matured,  would 
have  weighed  a  pound  and  a  half  each.  They  hung 
3* 


30  FRUlT-BEARlNG    POWERS 

close  together,  forming,  as  far  as  they  extended  on 
the  wall,  an  entire  and  compact  mass  of  grapes,  the 
weight  of  which,  if  ripened,  would  have  exceeded 
sixty  pounds.  The  middle  of  that  month  arrived, 
and  the  berries  had  only  reached  the  size  of  small 
peas,  Avhile  those  on  other  vines,  not  subjected  to  any 
such  trial,  were  full  grown,  and  had  commenced  the 
stoning  process.  On  the  first  of  August,  no  percepti- 
ble increase  of  size  in  the  berries  had  taken  place, 
and  the  vine  began  to  show  strong  symptoms  of  ex- 
haustion. About  the  middle  of  that  month  the  foli- 
age assumed  a  withering  appearance,  and  on  the  first 
of  September  the  vegetation  of  the  plant  was  almost 
at  a  stand.  The  shoots  ceased  to  grow,  the  fruit  and 
foliage  were  in  a  prostrate  condition,  and  the  vital 
energies  of  the  vine  appeared  quite  unable  to  supply 
the  daily  increasing  demand  for  nourishment. 
Throughout  that  month  it  continued  in  a  pitiable 
condition,  and  though  a  valuable  plant,  it  was,  never- 
theless, suffered  to  take  its  course  as  well  as  all  the 
others,  in  order  that  the  trial  might  be  decisive. 
About  the  first  of  October,  the  greater  part  of  the 
berries  having  grown  as  large  as  middling-sized  peas, 
those  on  the  shoulders  of  some  of  the  bunches  began 
to  show  symptoms  of  ripening,  by  becoming  a  little 
transparent,  and  at  the  same  time,  the  berries  at  the 
extremities  of  the  bunches  began  to  shrivel.  As  the 
month  advanced,  the  ripening  process  proceeded 
slowly,  but  the  shrivelling  increased  rapidly.  To- 
wards the  latter  end  of  October  the  trial  was  over, 
and  the  experiment  complete:  on  many  entire 
bunches  every  berry  had  shrivelled,  and  in  no  bunch 
had  the  process  of  maturation  proceeded  farther  down 
than  the  shoulders.  The  whole  crop  was  gathered 
about  the  first  of  November,  and  the  ripened  portions 
being  put  together,  weighed  nine  pounds  and  a  half 
Not  one  of  these  ripened  berries,  however,  was  more 
than  half  the  usual  size,  and,  in  point  of  flavor,  not 
to  be  compared  to  others  of  the  same  sort,  ripened,  at 
least,  six  weeks  previously. 


OF    THE    VINE.  31 

The  vine  was  pruned  immediately,  and  cut  almost 
to  a  stump,  to  give  it  every  chance  of  recovering 
from  the  blow  it  had  received.  But,  in  the  following 
spring,  not  a  single  bud  unfolded  till  nearly  a  month 
after  the  usual  time,  and  at  the  close  of  the  season, 
the  largest  shoot  was  only  twenty-six  inches  in 
length,  and  no  larger  than  a  packing  needle,  although, 
in  the  previous  year,  the  vine  had  emitted  very  vigor- 
ous shoots  twenty-live  feet  in  length.  It  has  been 
pruned  very  closely  every  year  since,  and  has  in  con- 
sequence gradually  acquired  strength  ;  but  although 
eight  years  have  elapsed  since  the  experiment  was 
made,  it  has  not  yet  recovered  its  former  vigor.  The 
effects  produced  on  the  other  vines  have  ultimately 
proved  equally  injurious,  not  one  of  them  having  yet 
acquired  anything  like  the  same  degree  of  health 
which  it  then  possessed. 

The  result  of  these  experiments  was  decisive  as  to 
the  proportion  of  fruit  having  very  greatly  exceeded 
the  strength  of  the  vines,  some  of  which,  no  doubt, 
would  have  died  from  the  effects  of  their  own  fertili- 
ty, if  they  had  not  previously  been  in  an  exceedingly 
vigorous  state. 

In  the  following  year,  1827,  another  set  of  vines 
was  selected  for  a  similar  trial  of  strength,  and  only 
half  as  much  fruit  retained  on  each,  as  on  those  of 
the  preceding  year.  This  quantity,  however,  proved 
far  too  great,  as  the  grapes  only  partially  ripened,  and 
the  vines  were  completely  crippled  for  several  years 
afterwards. 

In  the  three  following  years,  1828,  1829,  and  1830, 
fresh  vines  were  annually  selected  for  similar  experi- 
ments, and  the  weight  of  fruit  reduced  every  succes- 
sive year,  until,  in  1830,  the  object  in  view  seemed 
to  be  attained,  the  grapes  having  all  been  perfectly 
matured,  and  the  vital  powers  of  the  vines  (which 
has  subsequently  been  proved)  not  in  the  least  en- 
croached upon. 

Other  vines  of  different  ages  were  also  annually 


32  FRUIT-BEARING    POWERS 

selected  during  the  above-mentioned  period  from 
1826  to  1830,  and  as  much  fruit  assigned  to  each  of 
them  to  ripen,  as  was  then  thought  equal  to  their 
powers  of  maturation.  The  weight  so  assigned  has 
since  proved  to  have  been  pretty  near  the  correct  pro- 
portion. 

The  results  of  all  these  experiments  were  carefully 
registered  from  year  to  year,  and  at  the  close  of  1830, 
the  whole  being  accurately  examined,  it  appeared 
clearly  that  the  capability  of  the  vines  to  mature  fruit 
was  in  direct  proportion  to  the  circumference  of  their 
respective  stems. 

Simultaneously,  also,  with  these  experiments,  sev- 
eral young  vines  were  annually  set  apart  for  the  pur- 
pose of  discovering  the  effects  of  early  bearing  on 
their  subsequent  growth,  and  of  ascertaining  the  size 
which  the  stem  of  a  young  vine  must  attain,  before 
it  is  capable  of  maturing  any  fruit  without  injury  to 
its  vital  powers.  From  this  source  much  valuable 
information  was  obtained,  and  the  fact  was  also  es- 
tablished, that  young  vines  will  always  show  fruit, 
before  they  can  ripen  it  without  injuring  their  future 
growth  and  fertility. 

From  the  whole  of  tliese  experiments,  therefore,  a 
scale  was  then  constructed  in  accordance  with  their 
results,  of  the  weight  of  fruit  which  airy  vine  that 
has  not  been  previously  overcropped,  will  bring  to  the 
highest  perfection  which  the  climate  will  permit, 
without  impairing  its  vital  powers,  which  was  the 
'point  of  knowledge  sought  to  be  obtained. 

Agreeably  to  this  scale,  which  is  inserted  below, 
I  pruned,  in  the  winter  of  1830,  nearly  forty  vines  of 
different  sorts,  and  of  various  ages,  leaving  in  each 
no  greater  number  of  buds  than  appeared  on  an 
average  calculation  to  be  sufficient  to  produce  as 
much  fruit  as  the  vine  was  allowed  to  mature.  In 
the  following  summer,  as  soon  as  the  berries  were 
set,  the  number  of  bunches  required  to  produce  the 
given  weight  of  fruit  was  selected  to  remain,  and  the 
excess  immediately  cut  off.     I  have  strictly  adhered 


OF    THE    VINE. 


33 


to  this  plan  ever  since,  and  it  has  enabled  me  to 
produce  finer  grapes  than  I  have  ever  seen  or  heard 
of  being  grown  on  open  walls  in  this  country.  And 
so  prolific  does  every  vine  become,  from  the  hard 
pruning  which  an  adherence  to  this  scale  compels, 
that  I  have  frequently  to  cut  off  at  the  proper  period 
in  the  summer,  as  much  as  one  half,  and  sometimes 
even  three  fourths  of  the  fruit  which  many  of  the 
vines  show,  in  order  to  reduce  it  to  its  proper 
quantity. 

Vines  thus  pruned,  with  the  bearing- wood  annually 
adjusted  to  their  respective  powers  of  maturation, 
being  kept  within  a  small  compass  on  the  surface  of 
the  wall,  are  easily  managed  throughout  the  summer. 
They  never  fail  to  produce  an  abundant  supply  of  the 
finest  description  of  bearing-shoots  within  a  reasona- 
ble distance  of  their  stems,  and  always  bring  their 
fruit  to  the  highest  degree  of  perfection  which  the 
climate  will  permit,  with  a  certainty  which  has  never 
yet  attended  the  production  of  grapes  on  open  walls 
in  this  country. 


Scale  of  the  greatest  quantity  of  grapes,  which  any  vine  can  perfectly 
mature,  in  proportion  to  the  circumference  of  its  stem,  measured  just 
above  the  ground. 


Cir.  lbs. 

3    Inches    5 

3^     do 10 


do. 
4^  do. 
6  do. 
5A  do. 
6  do. 
6J     do. 


Cir.  lbs. 

7     Inches 45 


%  do. 

8  do. 
8A  do. 

9  do. 
9^  do. 

10  do. 


It  will  be  seen,  that  if  2\  inches  be  deducted  from 
the  circumference  of  the  stem  of  any  vine,  the  capa- 
bility of  it  will  be  equal  to  the  maturation  of  ten 
pounds  of  grapes  for  every  remaining  inch  of  girt. 
The  proportionate  quantity  for  fractional  parts  of  an 
inch  may  be  easily  calculated. 

The  circumference  of  the  largest  stem  in  this  scale 
is  ten  inches,  beyond  which  size  I  have  had  no  op- 


34  FRUIT-EEAllING    POWERS 

portunity  of  selecting  a  sufficient  number  of  vines  to 
enable  me  to  carry  the  experiments  further  in  a  satis- 
factory manner.  I  have,  however,  at  various  times, 
examined  a  great  many  vines  about  that  size,  and 
have  estimated  the  weight  of  their  respective  crops 
at  the  vintage,  and  when  the  whole  crop  borne  by 
any  vine  has  been  perfectly  matured,  and  a  good 
supply  of  fine  vigorous  shoots  for  future  bearing-wood 
produced  simultaneously  in  the  current  year,  the 
result  has  uniformly  been  that  the  weight  of  fruit  has 
not  exceeded  the  proportion  mentioned  in  the  scale. 
I  think  it  not  unreasonable,  therefore,  to  conclude, 
that  the  same  proportionate  quantity  will  apply  to 
every  vine,  whatever  may  be  the  girt  of  its  stem. 

No  vine  is  taken  cognizance  of,  until  its  stem  meas- 
ures three  inches  in  girt,  as,  under  that  size,  vines 
ought  never  to  be  suffered  to  ripen  any  fruit.  This 
is  a  rule  that  should  be  strictly  adhered  to  in  the 
management  of  young  vines,  for  it  may  be  safely  as- 
serted, that  for  every  pound  weight  of  grapes  ex- 
tracted from  a  vine  before  it  has  grown  to  that  size, 
ten  pounds  will  be  lost  during  the  next  five  years, 
independently  of  the  very  severe  check  which  is 
given  to  its  growth  by  premature  bearing.  But  by 
husbanding  its  strength,  till  its  roots  have  multiplied 
sufficiently  to  provide  a  full  supply  of  nourishment 
without  suffering  from  exhaustion,  the  plant  com- 
mences its  fruit-bearing  life  with  a  degree  of  vigor 
which  lays  a  sure  foundation  for  its  future  pros- 
perity. 

It  may  be  remarked,  tliat,  in  general,  vines  are 
suffered  to  bear  a  much  greater  quantity  of  grapes 
than  the  above  scale  represents,  but  in  all  such  cases 
it  will  be  found,  that  they  are  not  jyerjecily  ripened, 
the  grand  desideratum  in  grapes,  when  used  as  table 
fruit,  is  flavor^  and  this  is  entirely  regulated  by  the 
circumstances  under  which  they  are  ripened.  One  of 
those  circumstances  is  the  quantity  of  grapes  suffered 
to  remain  and  ripen,  as  compared  with  the  strength  of 
the  vine.     The  respective  quantities  mentioned  in  the 


OF    THE    VINE.  35 

scale  are  such  as  every  vine  of  the  given  girt  of  stem 
can  perfectly  mature,  but  if  these  be  exceeded,  the 
flavor  will  immediately  begin  to  diminish,  and  the 
vine  may  then  be  said  to  be  overcropped.  On  the 
other  hand,  although  a  less  quantity  of  grapes  may 
be  matured  by  a  vine,  than  the  proportion  represented 
in  the  scale,  the  flavor  will  not  thereby  be  increased, 
in  which  case  the  vine  will  be  undercropped.  This, 
however,  very  seldom  happens ;  but  to  go  beyond 
the  true  bearing  point,  and  to  overcrop  a  vine  when- 
ever the  quantity  of  fruit  shown  will  admit  of  it,  is 
of  almost  universal  occurrence,  not  only  with  vines 
trained  on  open  walls,  but  with  those  imder  glass 
also.  It  is  impossible  to  place  this  injurious  practice 
in  too  prominent  a  point  of  view,  for  it  is  the  prolific 
parent  of  almost  every  evil  that  can  befal  a  vine,  and 
it  is  really  so  general,  that  scarcely  one  vine  in  ten 
thousand  escapes  it. 

Although,  therefore,  the  proportionate  quantities 
mentioned  in  the  scale  are  much  less  than  vines  are 
frequently  permitted  to  bear,  they  may  be  regarded  as 
a  close  approximation  to  the  greatest  weight  of  fruit 
which  can  be  borne,  so  as  to  be  brought  to  the  high- 
est degree  of  maturation  which  the  climate  will 
permit.  There  may  be  a  little  increase  in  the  powers 
of  maturation  of  vines,  when  trained  on  very  warm 
aspects,  but  I  have  never  found  it  prevail  to  any 
extent,  nor  to  be  sufficiently  uniform  in  its  occur- 
rence, to  justify  any  variation  in  the  proportions  laid 
down  in  the  scale.  Some  sorts  of  vines,  also,  are 
constitutionally  disposed  to  shoio  more  fruit  than 
other  sorts,  but  the  capability  to  mature  the  fruit  is 
pretty  nearly  equal  in  all.  It  may  be  further  re- 
marked, that  if  a  vine  during  any  season  be  under- 
cropped,  the  deficiency  may  be  partly  made  good  the 
following  year,  by  causing  it  to  bear  a  considerable 
portion  of  fruit  more  than  its  allotted  quantity,  as 
stated  in  the  scale.  This  results  from  the  sap  not 
having  been  all  expended  in  ripening  the  fruit;  it  has 
in  consequence  accumulated,  and  the  plant  is  thereby 


36  FRUIT-BEARING    POWERS    OF    THE    VINE. 

enabled  to  mature  a  greater  weight  of  fruit  in  the 
ensuing  season,  than  it  otherwise  could  do,  from  the 
sap  generated  in  the  current  year. 

The  manner  in  which  it  is  intended  that  this  scale 
should  be  practically  applied,  is  to  measure  the  stem 
of  a  vine  at  the  autumnal  pruning,  and  to  retain  no 
more  good  well-ripened  fruit-buds  than  is  supposed 
necessary  to  produce  the  given  Aveight  of  fruit  that 
corresponds  to  its  girt.  And  if  there  should  be  any 
excess  above  that  quantity  in  the  ensuing  summer, 
the  crop  must  be  reduced  to  the  given  weight,  by 
cutting  oft'  a  sufficient  number  of  bunches,  as  soon  as 
the  blossoming  is  over  and  the  fruit  set,  as  the 
weight  of  it  when  ripened  may  then  be  easily  esti- 
mated. 

With  respect  to  the  number  of  buds  that  are  neces- 
sary to  be  left  at  the  autumnal  pruning  to  produce 
any  given  weight  of  fruit,  I  have  found  it  to  be  a 
good  general  rule,  and  applicable  to  all  those  sorts  of 
grapes  usually  cultivated  on  open  walls,  to  consider 
every  bud  (rejecting  the  two  bottom  ones  on  each 
shoot)  as  equal  to  the  production  of  half  a  pound 
weight  of  fruit; — that  is,  if  the  stem  of  a  vine 
measure  five  inches  in  girt,  its  capability  is  equal  to 
the  maturation  of  twenty-five  pounds'  weight  of 
grapes,  and,  therefore,  the  number  of  buds  to  remain 
after  pruning  will  be  fifty.  This  proportion  would, 
in  general,  be  too  great,  even  in  the  shyest-bearing 
sorts:  but  as  accidents  frequently  happen  to  the 
bunches  during  their  early  growth,  and  as  there  will, 
in  general,  be  some  buds  that  will  not  burst,  provision 
must  be  made  against  these  casualties,  by  reserving  a 
greater  number  of  buds  than  would  otherwise  be  re- 
quired. The  proportionate  number,  therefore,  above- 
mentioned,  I  have  found  to  answer  well,  and  to  be 
sufficient  to  meet  all  contingencies. 

It  is  necessary  to  observe,  that  all  the  experiments 
on  which  the  scale  is  foimded  were  made  on  vines 
growing  in  5U°  46'  north  latitude. 


ON   ASPECT.  37 


CHAPTER  IV. 


ON    ASPECT. 


A  GOOD  aspect,  which  is  of  prime  importance  in 
perfecting  the  fruit  of  the  vine,  may  be  termed,  when 
considered  in  reference  to  the  surface  of  walls,  an 
amehoration  of  chmate;  and  soil  and  climate  are  the 
two  grand  causes  of  all  the  ditferences  which  appear 
in  the  prodnctions  of  the  earth. 

The  warmer  the  aspect,  the  greater  perfection  does 
the  grape  attain  in  our  climate,  provided  all  other  cir- 
cumstances are  alike ;  and  if  the  greatest  quantity  of 
the  sun's  rays  shining  on  the  surface  of  a  wall  were 
alone  to  be  considered  as  constituting  the  best  aspect, 
there  would,  of  course,  be  no  difficulty  in  naming  a 
due  southern  one  as  better  than  any  other.  But 
warmth  alone  is  not  sufficient;  shelter  is  equally 
necessary.  There  is  a  strong  counteracting  agent, 
which,  as  its  effects  fall  more  or  less  on  any  surface 
of  walling  on  which  vines  are  trained,  proportionately 
injures  them  and  retards  their  growth,  and  the  matu- 
ration of  their  fruit.     That  agent  is  the  wind. 

There  is  no  period  in  the  growth  of  a  vine,  from 
the  moment  of  its  being  planted  as  a  cutting  or  other- 
wise, to  the  extremity  of  its  existence,  in  which  any 
movement  of  the  air,  that  may  properly  be  called 
wind^  will  not  have  a  greater  or  less  pernicious  effect 
on  its  well-being.  The  perspiration  of  a  vine  is  so 
great,  principally  through  the  medium  of  its  fine  large 
leaves,  with  their  broad  surfaces  disposed  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  enjoy  the  full  effects  of  the  solar  and 
atmospherical  influences,  that  an  extraordinary  supply 
of  sap  is  required,  to  rise  every  instant  of  time 
throughout  the  growing  season,  to  enable  it  to  recruit 
its  loss.  On  the  foliage  of  a  plant,  performing  some 
4 


38  ON    ASPECT. 

of  its  most  important  functions  in  such  a  manner,  if  a 
strong  wind  should  blow  at  any  time  for  the  space 
only  of  a  few  hours,  the  flow  of  sap  is  seriously 
checked,  evaporation  proceeds  at  a  most  exhausting 
rate,  and  the  leaves  and  young  shoots  being  speedily 
emptied  of  the  moisture  accumulated  in  their  cells 
and  vessels,  become  rigid,  and  their  pores  completely 
closed.  The  vegetative  powers  of  the  plant  being 
thus  prostrated,  cannot  resume  their  functions  till 
after  the  wind  has  ceased  for  several  hours,  or  even 
days,  according  to  its  previous  violence  and  duration. 

I  have  made  repeated  observations  on  the  growth 
of  the  leading  shoots  of  vines  in  the  height  of  the 
growing  season,  and  have  many  times  noted  the  fact, 
that  during  the  space  of  twenty-four  hours,  when  the 
wind  has  blown  briskly,  the  shoots  exposed  to  its 
influence  have  not  perceptibly  grown  at  all ;  while, 
shortly  afterwards,  the  wind  having  entirely  sunk 
away,  the  same  shoots  have  grown  upwards  of  three 
inches  in  a  similar  space  of  time,  the  temperature  of 
the  air  in  a  sheltered  situation  being  alike  during  each 
period. 

And  if  two  young  vines  be  planted  by  the  side  of 
each  other,  against  a  wall  exposed  to  the  north,  for 
the  purpose  of  trying  the  expernnent,  by  excluding 
the  influence  of  the  sun's  rays,  and  one  be  kept 
nailed  to  the  wall  every  five  or  six  inches  of  its 
growth  throughout  the  summer,  and  the  other  be 
suflered  to  be  blown  about  without  any  such  protec- 
tion; the  former  will  be  found  at  the  end  of  the 
season,  to  have  grown  in  the  size  and  extent  of  its 
shoots,  three  or  four  times  as  much  as  the  latter. 
Nothing,  indeed,  can  be  more  tender,  or  less  calcu- 
lated to  withstand  the  effects  of  the  wind  than  the 
extremities  of  the  young  shoots  of  a  vine,  which, 
from  being  extremely  porous,  are  almost  as  suscepti- 
ble of  its  withering  influence  as  the  Sensitive  Plant  is 
of  the  touch  of  the  hand. 

Many  instances  might  be  circumstantially  detailed 
of  the  injurious  effects  of  the  wind  upon  established 


ON    ASPECT.  39 

vines  during  their  summer's  growth ;   two,  however, 
of  recent  occurrence,  will  perhaps  suffice. 

On  the  eleventh  of  June,  1833,  a  strong  wind 
sprang  up  early  in  the  morning  from  the  west,  and 
mcreased  in  force  till  noon,  when  it  blew  quite  a 
gale,  and  continued  so  to  do  throughout  the  day.  It 
slackened  a  little  during  the  night,  and  gradually 
decreased  in  violence  the  next  day,  dying  entirely 
away  by  the  evening.  The  effects  of  this  wind  on 
a  vine  of  the  White  Muscadine  sort  trained  on  a  wall 
having  a  western  aspect,  were  carefully  observed.  Tt 
had  on  a  full  crop  of  fruit,  and  a  good  supply  of  fine 
young  bearing-shoots,  and  was  altogether  in  a  most 
thriving  condition.  Such,  however,  were  the  injuri- 
ous effects  of  the  wind,  in  dissipating  all  the  accu- 
mulated secretions  of  the  foliage,  and  then  closing, 
almost  hermetically,  its  pores,  and  thereby  totally 
deranging  the  vital  functions  of  the  plant,  that,  al- 
though in  the  height  of  the  growing  season,  not  the 
slightest  appearance  of  renewed  vegetation  could  be 
discerned  in  any  part  of  its  leaves,  shoots,  or  fruit, 
until  the  third  day  of  July,  or  twenty-two  days  after- 
wards. It  never  produced  another  inch  of  good 
bearing-wood  throughout  the  remainder  of  the  season, 
but  lingered  in  a  very  weak  and  sickly  condition; 
and  the  fruit,  which  had  been  previously  estimated  at 
901bs.  weight,  did  not  exceed  551bs.  when  gathered, 
and  that  of  a  very  inferior  description,  in  point  of 
flavor,  and  size  of  berry.  Its  leaves^  also,  having 
been  thus  crippled,  were  shed  prematurely,  a  month 
before  their  natural  time,  and  hence  the  deficiency  in 
the  flavor  and  size  of  the  grapes. 

The  other  instance,  which  happened  shortly  after- 
wards, is  still  more  decisive.  On  the  30th  of  August 
following,  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening,  a  strong 
wind  began  to  blow  from  the  south-west,  accom- 
panied with  heavy  rain.  At  nine  it  blew  violently, 
and  continued  so  to  do  until  noon  the  next  day.  It 
then  slackened,  and,  veering  to  the  north-west,  died 
away  some  time  during  the  following  night. 


40  ON   ASPECT. 

The  full  force  of  this  wind  fell  on  a  remarkably 
fine  Black  Hamburg  vine,  trained  on  a  wall,  having 
a  south-south-western  aspect,  and  its  effects  were, 
therefore,  proportionately  destructive.  Many  of  the 
principal  branches  were  torn  so  completely  from  their 
fastenings,  that  their  extremities  swept  the  ground. 
The  bunches  of  fruit  were  knocked  about,  and  por- 
tions of  them,  as  well  as  single  berries,  lay  scattered 
on  the  ground  in  every  direction.  On  the  fruit, 
however,  that  survived  the  wreck,  the  effects  of  the 
wind  were  remarkable.  It  must  be  stated,  that  the 
wall  on  which  the  vine  is  trained,  is  ten  ieet  high, 
and  is  so  situated,  that,  to  the  height  of  about  three 
feet  from  the  ground,  the  wind  had  but  little  power 
over  it,  its  force  being  broken  by  an  outer  wall,  stand- 
ing at  a  little  distance  off,  in  front  of  it.  On  the 
lower  part  of  the  wall  so  protected,  the  grapes,  not 
having  been  much  injured,  began  to  change  their 
color  and  ripen  about  the  twentieth  of  September,  and 
on  the  twelfth  of  October  every  berry  was  perfectly 
matured ;  while  all  those  that  remained  on  the  vine 
above  three  feet  from  the  ground,  were,  on  the  first 
of  November,  as  green  and  as  hard  as  on  the  thirtieth 
of  August,  when  the  high  wind  occurred.  Shortly 
afterwards  these  began  to  change  their  color,  and  ulti- 
mately ripened  tolerably  well  by  the  first  week  in 
December.  Thus,  solely  through  the  effects  of  a 
strong  wind,  there  were  to  be  seen  at  the  same  time, 
on  the  same  branches  of  this  vine,  and  within  nine 
inches  of  each  other,  bunches  of  grapes,  the  lower- 
most of  which  were  perfectly  ripe,  while  the  upper- 
most were  quite  green  and  hard,  and  not  within  seven 
weeks  of  reaching  the  same  state  of  maturity. 

These  facts,  which  might  be  multiplied  indefinite- 
ly,  sufficiently  show  the  injurious  effects  of  strong 
winds,  and  the  necessity  of  protecting  vines  as  much 
as  possible  from  their  destructive  consequences.     Nor 
V      must  it  be  supposed  that  fdgh   winds  are  those  only 
\    which  injure  the   vine.     Every  wind   that  blows  on 
I    the   foliage   of  a   vine   deranges   its   functions,    and 


ON    ASPECT.  41 

thereby  retards  the  growth  of  the  plant,  and  the  ma- 
turation of  its  fruit,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  in  pro- 
portion to  its  violence  and  duration. 

In  the  choice  of  a  good  aspect,  therefore,  shelter  from 
high  or  often-recurring  winds  becomes  a  prime  con- 
sideration ;  and  those  aspects  that  are  the  least  exposed 
to  their  effects,  and  that  receive  a  full  portion  of  solar 
rays,  may,  accordingly,  be  deemed  the  best.  There 
are,  however,  in  general,  so  many  local  circumstances 
which  affect  the  warmth  and  shelter  of  the  surfaces  of 
walls  and  buildings,  that  these  alone,  where  they  ex- 
ist, must  determine  the  best  aspects  for  the  training 
of  vines.  But  if  there  be  no  such  local  circumstances 
to  influence  the  choice  of  aspect,  then,  I  have  no  hes- 
itation in  stating,  from  a  careful  observation  of  the 
qualities  and  flavor  of  the  fruit  of  the  diflerent  vin- 
tages for  many  years  past,  that  the  best  aspects  in 
which  grapes  can  be  brought  to  the  highest  degree  of 
perfection  on  open  walls  that  the  latitude  and  climate 
of  the  southern  parts  of  England  will  permit,  are 
those  that  range  from  ihe  eastern  to  the  south- eastern^ 
both  inclusive,  the  last  of  which,  indeed,  may  be  con- 
sidered the  very  best. 

On  walls  having  any  of  these  aspects  the  sun  shines 
with  full  force  in  the  early  part  of  the  morning,  at 
which  time  there  is  something  highly  favorable  to 
vegetation  in  the  influence  of  his  rays.  These,  dart- 
ing nearly  perpendicularly  on  the  foliage  of  a  vine, 
while  the  dew  yet  remains,  and  its  beautiful  crystal 
drops  hang  suspended,  as  it  were  by  magic,  to  the 
angular  extremities  of  the  leaves,  seem  to  stimulate 
the  vital  energies  of  the  plant  in  an  extraordinary 
degree,  and  to  excite  them  to  a  vigorous  exercise  of 
all  the  important  functions  appertaming  to  vegetable 
hfe. 

The  next  best  aspects  are  those  which  follow  in 
succession  from  south-east  to  south.  An  aspect  due 
south  is  undoubtedly  a  very  good  one,  but  its  expos- 
ure to  those  strong  winds  which  so  frequently  blow 
from  the  souih-west  forms  a  great  drawback  to  its 
4* 


42  ON    SOIL. 

excellence.  The  remaining  aspects  are  those  which 
range  successively  from  due  south  to  due  west.  These 
are  all  good  ones,  provided  they  are  sheltered,  or  par- 
tially so,  from  the  destructive  effects  of  the  high 
winds  above -mentioned.  North  of  the  tvesteni  point, 
the  maturation  of  the  wood  and  fruit  of  the  vine  be- 
comes uncertain ;  nevertheless,  tolerably  good  grapes 
may  be  grown  on  the  surface  of  a  wall,  having  an  as- 
pect not  farther  north  than  icest  by  north.  There  is 
however  another  aspect,  that  is  noy^th  of  the  eastern 
point  of  the  horizon,  which  is  a  very  good  one  indeed, 
and  that  is  east  by  north.  On  a  wall  facing  this 
point,  the  sun  shines  till  about  eleven  o'clock  in  the 
morning.  I  have,  for  many  years  past,  brought  several 
sorts  of  grapes,  including  the  Black  Hamburg,  to 
great  perfection  in  this  aspect.  North  of  this  point, 
however,  the  solar  rays  are  not  sufficiently  powerful 
to  mature  either  the  wood  or  fruit  of  the  vine. 


CHAPTER  V. 


ON    SOIL. 


The  natural  soil  which  is  most  congenial  to  the 
growth  of  the  vine,  and  to  the  perfection  of  its  fruit 
in  this  country,  is  a  light,  rich,  sandy  loam,  not  more 
than  eighteen  inches  in  depth,  on  a  dry  bottom  of 
gravel,  stones,  or  rocks. 

No  sub -soil  can  possess  too  great  a  quantity  of  these 
materials  for  the  roots  of  the  vine,  which  run  with 
eagerness  into  all  the  clefts,  crevices,  and  openings  in 
which  such  sub-soils  abound.  In  these  dry  and  warm 
situations,  the  fibrous  extremities,  pushing  themselves 
with  the  greatest  avidity,  and  continually  branching 
out  in  every  possible  direction,  lie  secure  from  that 
excess  of  moisture  which  frequently  accumulates  in 


ON    SOIL.  43 

more  compact  soils ;  and,  clinging  like  ivy  romid  the 
porous  surfaces  of  their  retreats,  extract  therefrom  a 
species  of  food,  more  nourishing  than  that  obtained 
by  them  under  any  other  circumstances  whatever. 

One  of  the  principal  causes  of  grapes  not  ripening 
well  on  open  walls  in  this  country,  is  the  great  depth 
of  7iiould  in  which  the  roots  of  vines  are  suffered  to 
run,  which,  enticing  them  to  penetrate  in  search  of 
food  below  the  influence  of  the  sun's  rays,  supplies 
them  with  too  great  a  quantity  of  moisture;  vegeta- 
tion is  thereby  carried  on  till  late  in  the  summer,  in 
consequence  of  which,  the  ripening  process  does  not 
commence  till  the  declination  of  the  sun  becomes  too 
rapid  to  afford  a  sufliciency  of  solar  heat  to  perfect 
the  fruit. 

To  prevent  this,  the  sub-soil  should  be  composed 
of  dry  materials.  It  is  almost  impossible,  indeed,  to 
make  a  vhie  border  of  materials  that  shall  be  too  dry 
or  porous.  It  is  not  mere  earth  that  the  roots  require 
to  come  in  contact  with,  to  induce  growth  and  exten- 
tion,  but  air  also,  which  is  as  necessary  to  them  as  to 
the  leaves  and  branches.  The  excrementitious  mat- 
ter discharged  from  the  roots  of  a  vine  is  very  great ; 
and  if  this  be  given  out  in  a  soil  that  is  close  and 
adhesive,  and  through  which  the  action  of  the  solar 
rays  is  feeble,  the  air  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  roots 
quickly  becomes  deleterious,  and  a  languid  and 
diseased  vegetation  immediately  follows.  But  if  the 
roots  grow  in  a  soil  composed  of  dry  materials,  mixed 
together  in  such  a  manner  as  to  possess  a  series  of 
cavities  and  interstices,  into  which  the  sim's  rays  can 
enter  with  freedom,  and  there  exert  their  full  power, 
the  air  in  which  the  roots  perform  their  functions  be- 
comes warmed  and  purified,  they  absorb  tlieir  food  in 
a  medium  which  dissipates  their  secretions,  and  a 
healthy  and  vigorous  vegetation  is  the  never-failing 
consequence. 

The  roots  of  every  plant  have  a  particular  tempera- 
ture in  which  they  thrive  best;  and  that  which  those 
of  the  vine  delight  in  most  is  generated  in  a  greater 


44  ON    SOIL. 

degree  in  stony  or  rocky  soils,  than  in  any  other. 
This  is  easily  accounted  for  from  the  fact  that  soils  of 
this  description,  being  quickly  rendered  dry  by  evap- 
oration, are  always  free  from  that  excess  of  moisture 
which  is  so  injurious  to  the  growth  of  the  vine. 

It  may  hence  be  inferred,  that  vines  will  not  flour- 
ish in  a  cold  wet  soil,  nor  in  one  composed  of  a  stiff 
heavy  clay.  Grapes  produced  on  vines  planted  in 
such  soils  scarcely  ever  ripen  well,  and  if  so,  never 
possess  the  flavor  of  those  grown  on  vines  planted  in 
a  dry  soil.  Vines  may  be  seen  in  all  parts  of  the 
country,  the  fruit  on  which  looks  well  during  the 
early  part  of  the  season,  but  when  the  ripening  period 
arrives  the  berries  remain  green  and  hard,  or  other- 
wise they  shrivel  and  decay.  These  results  are  sure 
to  be  produced  when  the  roots  grow  in  a  soil  that  is 
too  wet  and  adhesive,  and  into  which  the  sun  and  air 
cannot  freely  penetrate. 

All  borders,  therefore,  made  expressly  for  the  re- 
ception of  vines,  ought  to  be  composed  of  a  suflicient 
quantity  of  dry  materials,  such  ^s  stones  ;  brickbats^ 
broken  moderately  small;  lumps  of  old  mortar; 
broken  pottery ;  oyster  shells^  <^*c.  (^*c.,  to  enable  the 
roots  to  extend  themselves  freely  in  their  search  after 
food  and  nourishment ;  tiO  keep  them  dry  and  v/arm 
by  the  free  admission  of  air  and  solar  heat :  and  to 
admit  of  heavy  rains  passing  quickly  through,  without 
being  retained  sufficiently  long  to  saturate  the  roots, 
and  thereby  injure  their  tender  extremities. 

In  preparing  the  border,  then,  the  first  thing  is  to 
secure  a  dry  bottom.  If  the  soil  and  sub-soil  be  nat- 
urally such,  as  is  described  above  as  the  most  conge- 
nial to  the  growth  of  the  vine,  nothing  more  is  re- 
quired, than  to  trench  the  ground  two  spit  deep,  to 
clean  it  well  from  all  weeds  and  roots,  and  to  make  it 
as  fine  as  possible,  and  it  v/ill  then  be  in  a  proper 
state  to  receive  the  vines. 

But  if  the  sub-soil  be  not  naturally  dry,  it  must  be 
made  so  by  the  usual  process  of  draining,  which  is 
the  basis  of  every  improvement  that  can  be  made  in 


ON   SOIL.  45 

the  soil.  The  bottom  of  the  drains  ought,  if  possible, 
to  be  four  feet  from  the  surface,  and  the  drains  a  foot 
deep,  the  clear  depth  of  the  border  will  then  be  three 
feet.  If  the  soil  of  this  be  heavy,  and  of  a  retentive 
nature,  two  thirds  of  it  ought  to  be  taken  entirely 
away,  and  the  remaining  portion,  which  should  be 
the  top  spit,  made  very  fine.  The  deficiency  should 
be  made  good,  by  adding  an  equal  quantity  of  dry 
materials  of  the  above-mentioned  description,  and  of 
the  sweepings  of  a  high  road,  all  of  which  must  be 
well  mixed  and  incorporated  together.  If  the  natural 
soil  of  the  border  be  too  sandy  and  light,  the  same 
process  may  be  followed  with  the  exception  of  the 
addition  of  road  sweepings.  In  lieu  of  these,  should 
be  added  a  sufliciency  of  fine  mould  collected  from 
molehills,  which  is  generally  of  a  rich  loamy  nature ; 
or  of  fresh  soil  from  some  neighboring  meadow  or 
common,  which,  if  well  pastured,  will  prove  very 
fertile;  but  if  neither  of  these  can  be  procured,  the 
deficiency  may  be  made  good  from  the  top  spit  of  a 
field  of  good  arable  land. 

And  of  whatever  nature  the  soil  may  be,  in  which 
it  is  intended  to  plant  vines,  it  ought  to  contain,  at 
least,  one-third  of  dry  materials  of  the  above-men- 
tioned description. 

With  respect  to  the  sweepings  of  roads,  I  am  de- 
cidedly'of  opinion,  that  those  obtained  from  a  turn- 
pike road,  or  from  any  other  high  road  kept  in  a  good 
state  of  repair  by  the  frequent  addition  of  stones,  and 
on  which  there  is  a  considerable  trafilc  of  horses  or 
other  cattle,  is  the  very  best  compost  that  can  be 
added  to  any  border  intended  for  the  reception  of 
vines.  Its  component  parts,  consisting  chiefly  of 
sand,  gravel,  pulverised  stones,  and  the  residuum  of 
dung  and  urine,  aftbrd  a  great  quantity  of  food,  and 
of  a  richer  and  more  lasting  nature,  than  can  be 
found  in  any  other  description  of  compost,  that  I  have 
ever  seen,  or  heard  of  being  used  for  that  purpose. 
I  have,  on  many  occasions,  opened  the  borders  of 
vines   to  examine   the  direction  of   their   roots,  and 


46  ON    SOIL. 

to  discover  the  particular  species  of  soil  which  they 
preferred,  and  1  have  uniformly  found,  that  where 
any  portion  of  this  compost  had  been  introduced,  the 
fibrous  extremities  of  the  roots  had  pushed  themselves 
into  it,  and  multiplied  there  in  a  tenfold  degree  be- 
yond those  in  the  adjacent  soil.  T  think,  therefore, 
that  however  rich  the  soil  of  a  vine  border  may 
naturally  be,  a  portion  of  this  compost  may  be  added 
to  it  with  the  greatest  advantage.  It  should  be 
scraped  or  swept  off  the  road,  when  it  is  not  so  wet 
as  to  cake  together,  nor  so  dry  as  to  be  bordering 
upon  dust,  but  in  a  moderately  dry  state,  betwixt  the 
two  extremes.  It  ought  to  be  mixed  with  the  other 
components  of  the  border,  soon  after  it  has  been  col- 
lected from  the  road,  as  all  its  valuable  qualities  will 
then  be  preserved  entire. 

In  putting  the  materials  of  the  border  together,  as 
many  whole  bones  as  can  possibly  be  procured  should 
be  inserted  with  them,  (in  the  manner  hereafter  men- 
tioned in  the  chapter  on  manure.)  and  if  these  cannot 
be  obtained  in  sufficient  abundance,  then,  such  other 
substances  as  are  therein  recommended  as  manures, 
may  be  substituted.  It  is  desirable  that  the  width  oif 
the  border  should  not  be  less  than  eight  feet,  if  local 
circumstances  will  permit,  but  if  not,  one  of  less 
width  must  suffice.  For  the  space  of  about  a  couple 
of  feet  in  breadth  from  the  bottom  of  the  wall,  a 
sufficient  quantity  of  stones  or  gravel,  but  not  of  a 
binding  nature,  should  be  laid,  to  form  a  path  to 
stand  on,  in  order  to  perform  with  cleanness  and  fa- 
cility, those  necessary  operations  on  the  vines,  which 
are  almost  daily  required  throughout  the  summer. 
Stones,  or  gravel,  thus  laid  over  the  border  at  the 
bottom  of  the  wall,  will  likewise  be  productive  of 
great  advantage  in  radiating  the  heat  of  the  sun's 
rays,  and  thereby  hastening  the  maturation  of  the 
fruit  growing  on  the  lower  part  of  the  wall ;  and  also 
in  keeping  it  clear,  and  free  from  splashes  of  dirt, 
that  are  frequently  the  consequences  of  heavy  rains. 
Small  shingle,  procured  from  the  sea  beach,  when 


ON   SOIL.  47 

local  circumstances  will  permit,  is  exceedingly  well 
calculated  for  the  purpose,  and  the  surfaces  of  it  being 
rendered  white  and  smooth  by  the  attrition  of  the  sea, 
it  produces  a  very  pleasing  and  cheerful  effect. 

The  border  should  be  perfectly  level,  or,  if  a  slop- 
ing surface  cannot  be  avoided,  the  descent  must  be 
from  the  wall.  No  other  plant  or  tree  of  any  descrip- 
tion should  be  intermixed  with  the  vines,  or  trained 
against  the  wall.  If  other  trees  be  trained  on  the 
surface  of  the  wall  amongst  the  vines,  the  current 
year's  shoots  of  the  latter  will  be  liable  to  be  shaded, 
and  impeded  in  their  growth  and  training,  and  be 
thereby  deprived  of  the  full  advantages  of  the  heat  of 
the  wall. 

It  will  also  prove  very  beneficial  to  the  growth  and 
fertility  of  the  vines,  and  to  the  flavor  of  the  fruit,  if 
the  border  in  which  they  are  planted  be  never 
cropped  nor  digged.  The  cropping  of  a  vine  border 
is  of  a  highly  mjurious  tendency,  for  it  not  only 
impoverishes  the  soil,  but  shades  it  from  the  influence 
of  the  sun  and  air,  which  is  a  consideration  of  the 
very  last  importance.  Soiar  heat,  indeed,  is  the 
only  thing  that  this  country  is  deficient  in,  as  it 
respects  the  culture  of  the  vine;  and  there  can  be  no 
doubt,  I  think,  that  if  we  had  but  a  trifling  portion 
more  of  it,  the  southern  parts  of  England  would  pro- 
duce grapes  on  open  walls,  equal  in  point  of  flavor  to 
those  grown  in  the  most  auspicious  climates.  Great 
care,  therefore,  ought  to  be  taken  never  to  intercept 
or  obstruct  for  a  smgle  hour,  during  any  part  of  the 
year,  the  full  and  du'ect  operation  of  the  sun  and  air 
on  the  surface  of  a  vine  border. 

It  must  also  be  stated,  that  after  a  vine  has  been 
planted  three  or  four  years,  its  roots  will  begin  to 
make  their  way  upwards,  towards  the  surface  of  the 
border,  doubtless  attracted  thither  by  the  joint  influ- 
ence of  the  sun  and  air.  And  if  the  border  be  not 
disturbed  by  cropping  or  digging,  they  will  come  up 
close  to  the  surface  about  the  ninth  or  tenth  year. 
In  this  situation   they  receive  an  extraordinary  in- 


4o  ON    SOIL. 

crease  of  solar  heat,  the  very  life  and  soul  of  all  vege- 
tation, and  being,  moreover,  near  the  surface,  they 
can  be  nourished  with  liquid  manure,  to  any  extent 
that  may  be  necessary.  These  surface  roots  ought, 
therefore,  to  be  taken  great  care  of  and  encouraged 
by  all  possible  means,  as  being  amongst  the  most 
valuable  of  any  belonging  to  the  vine,  and  as  con- 
tributing in  a  high  degree  to  improve  the  flavor  of 
the  fruit,  and  to  insure  its  ripening,  even  in  the  most 
unfavorable  seasons. 

The  border,  therefore,  after  it  is  once  made,  ought 
never  to  be  stirred  but  at  intervals,  when  necessary 
to  prevent  the  surface  of  it  from  becoming  a  hard, 
impervious  coat.  On  such  occasions  it  should  be 
carefully  forked  to  the  depth  of  a  couple  of  inches, 
which  will  keep  it  sufficiently  loose  and  open,  to  re- 
ceive the  full  influence  of  the  sun  and  air.  When- 
ever weeds  appear,  they  should  be  hoed  up,  or  pluck- 
ed by  the  hand  immediately.  In  fine,  the  border 
should  be  kept  sacred  from  the  intrusion  of  any  other 
plant,  tree,  or  vegetable  production  whatsoever,  and 
be  solely  devoted  to  the  growth  and  nourishment  of 
the  roots  of  the  vines. 

Here,  before  concluding  these  remarks  upon  soil,  it 
is  necessary  to  observe,  that  although  the  foregoing 
directions  with  respect  to  soil,  the  preparation  of  bor- 
ders, &c.  will,  if  followed,  ensure  the  prosperous 
growth  of  vines,  and  the  annual  production  and  ma- 
turation of  fine  crops  of  grapes,  and  are  therefore 
highly  deserving  of  being  practically  adopted  at  all 
times  when  circumstances  permit;  yet,  it  must  not 
therefore  be  supposed,  that  vines  will  not  grow  and 
mature  fine  fruit,  unless  planted  in  well-prepared  bor- 
ders. Quite  the  contrary  is  the  fact,  for  vines  will  do 
well  in  any  unprepared  soil,  that  4s  not  too  stiff,  and 
that  has  a  dry  bottom,  but  they  grow  quicker,  and 
consequently  bear  greater  crops  of  grapes  within  a 
given  space  of  time,  when  planted  in  a  soil  that  has 
been  properly  prepared  for  their  reception. 

For  instance,  if  two  cuttings  be  planted,  the  one  in 


ON    SOIL.  49 

the  soil  of  the  former  description,  and  the  otlier  in 
one  of  the  latter,  it  will  be  found  at  the  end  of  ten 
years,  that  the  stem  of  the  vine  growing  in  the  soil 
that  was  unprepared,  will  not  be  more  than  half  the 
size  of  that  planted  in  the  other;  consequently  for 
every  pound  weight  of  fruit  which  the  smaller 
stemmed  vine  can  mature,  the  other  will  ripen  very 
nearly  three  pounds.  This  difference  occurring  an- 
nually, is  sufficiently  great,  to  repay  most  amply  the 
trouble  and  expense  incurred  in  making  a  suitable 
border,  whenever  local  circumstances  will  permit  of 
such  an  operation  being  performed.  Nevertheless, 
the  disadvantages  of  a  poor  soil,  or  an  unprepared 
one,  may  in  some  measure  be  compensated,  by  plant- 
ing the  vines  closer  together,  in  which  case,  the  sur- 
face of  the  wall  will  be  much  sooner  covered  with 
fruit  than  otherwise.  If  vines,  indeed,  could  not  be 
planted  with  any  prospect  of  success  in  any  other 
situations  than  in  borders  set  apart  for  that  purpose, 
but  a  very  small  quantity  of  grapes  could  be  grown, 
compared  with  what  the  country  is  capable  of  pro- 
ducing. Innumerable  instances  occur  throughout  the 
country,  and  especially  in  towns  and  their  suburban 
districts,  in  which  walls,  cottages,  houses,  and  various 
descriptions  of  brick  and  stone  erections  present  very 
favorable  aspects  for  the  training  of  vines,  but  which, 
nevertheless,  are  so  situated  locally,  as  to  possess 
little  or  no  soil  at  all  on  the  surface  adjoining  their 
sites ;  the  ground  being  either  paved  with  bricks  or 
stone,  or  perhaps  trodden  so  hard,  as  to  be  apparently 
incapable  of  yielding  sustenance  to  any  vegetable 
production. 

In  all  such  cases,  however,  if  the  ground  adjoining 
the  site  of  the  wall  or  building  be  opened  to  the 
extent  of  eighteen  inches  square,  and  as  many  deep, 
it  will  be  sufficient  to  admit  the  roots  of  a  young 
vine,  which  must  be  pruned  to  suit  that  space.  If  a 
wider  and  deeper  space  can  be  made,  it  will  of  course 
be  better,  but  if  not,  that  will  do.  After  the  sides 
and  bottom  have  been  loosened  as  much  as  possible, 
5 


50  ON    SOIL. 

the  vine  may  be  planted,  and  the  hole  filled  up  with 
two-thirds  of  rich  loamy  earth,  and  one-third  of  road 
scrapmgs,  previously  mixed  well  together;  and,  if 
necessary,  the  surface  covering,  wliether  of  stone, 
brick,  or  otherwise,  may  be  restored  again  to  its 
former  state,  provided  a  space  of  about  six  inches 
square  be  left  open  for  the  stem  to  swell  in  during  its 
future  growth.  Vines  planted  in  such  situations, 
will,  in  general,  do  well,  although  their  growth  will 
not  be  so  rapid  as  when  planted  under  more  favorable 
circumstances. 

In  all  cases  where  vines  are  planted  against  any 
description  of  buildings,  their  roots  pusli  as  soon  as 
possible  imder  the  foundations,  being  attracted  thither 
by  the  warm  air  which  is  there  generated ;  and  such 
situations  being  also  dry,  from  the  excavations  which 
have  been  made,  offer  to  the  roots  the  same  protec- 
tion from  excessive  moisture,  as  the  substratum  of  a 
well-prepared  border.  The  same  may  be  observed  of 
vines  planted  against  walls,  the  foundations  of  which 
possess  similar  advantages,  although  in  a  more  limited 
degree.  Hence  the  fact  may  be  inferred,  that  vines 
planted  in  such  situations,  w^ithout  any  previous  pre- 
paration of  the  soil,  will  frequently  grow  as  luxuri- 
antly, and  produce  as  fine  grapes  as  those  planted  in 
rich  and  well  -prepared  borders. 

Indeed,  it  is  hardly  possible  to  plant  a  vine  in  any 
situation  in  which  it  will  not  thrive,  provided  its  roots 
can  by  any  means  push  themselves  into  a  dry  place, 
and  the  aspect  be  such  as  to  afford  to  its  brandies  a 
sufficient  portion  of  the  sun's  rays  to  elaborate  the 
juices  of  the  plant.  The  truth  is,  that  the  roots  of 
the  vine  possess  an  extraordinary  power  of  adapting 
themselves  to  any  situation  in  which  they  may  be 
planted,  provided  it  be  a  dry  one.  They  will  ramble 
in  every  direction  in  search  after  food,  and  extract 
nourishment  from  sources  apparently  the  most  barren. 
In  short,  they  are  the  best  caterers  that  can  possibly 
be  imagined,  for  they  will  grow,  and  even  thrive 
luxuriantly,  where  almost  every  other  description  of 
plant  or  tree  would  mevitably  starve. 


ON    MANURE.  51 


CHAPTER  VI. 


ON    MANURE. 


Every  substance  that  enriches  the  soil,  and  stimu- 
lates the  growth  of  plants,  may  be  called  a  manure. 

As  a  border  in  which  vines  are  to  be  planted  ought 
never  to  be  disturbed,  after  having  been  once  properly 
made,  it  follows,  that  those  manures  that  can  be 
applied  with  advantage  to  promote  their  growtli, 
comprehend,  ^r^^,  such  as  can  be  mixed  and  incor- 
porated with  the  soil  at  the  formation  of  the  border, 
and  which  add  to  its  fertility,  from  time  to  time,  ac- 
cording to  the  respective  periods  of  their  decomposi- 
tion and  amalgamation  with  it;  and,  secondly^  such 
as  can  be  apphed  in  a  liquid  state,  or  otherwise,  as  a 
top-dressing,  at  any  subsequent  period. 

Of  these  manures,  therefore,  that  may  be  mixed 
with  the  soil  when  the  border  is  first  made,  the  best 
are  such  as  possess  the  two  valuable  qualities  of  afford- 
ing to  the  roots  of  the  vine,  the  highest  degree  of 
nourishment  combined  with  the  greatest  permanency 
of  duration.  Of  this  description  are  bones^  horns  and 
hoofs  of  cattle,  bone  dust,  the  entire  carcases  of  ani- 
mals, cidtings  of  leather,  woolen  rags,  feathers,  and 
hair. 

It  is  unnecessary  to  enter  into  a  minute  detail  of  the 
various  properties  of  these  manures;  chemical  analy- 
sis having  ascertained,  and  experience  amply  proved, 
that  all  of  them,  as  they  gradually  and  respectively 
decompose,  offer  to  the  roots  of  plants  an  abundant 
supply  of  food  of  the  most  nourishing  description. 

Bones,  however,  on  account  of  their  prolonged 
effect,  are  by  far  the  most  valuable  manure  that  can 
be  deposited  in  a  vine  border.  They  should  be  buried 
in  the  soil  whole,  as  fresh  as  possible.  Every  variety 
of  size  may  be  procured,  from  the  smallest  bone  of  a 


52  ON    MANURE. 

fowl,  to  the  largest  bone  of  an  ox.  The  small  bones 
will  decompose  in  a  few  months,  but  the  largest  will 
remain  for  twenty,  thirty,  and  even  fifty  years,  be- 
fore they  are  entirely  decayed,  while  the  intermediate- 
sized  ones,  according  to  their  respective  kinds,  will 
be  continually  decomposing  in  succession  for  a  great 
number  of  years,  yielding  thereby  a  constant  supply 
of  nutriment  of  the  most  valuable  description.  It  is 
worthy  of  remark,  also,  that  every  bone,  whether 
small  or  large,  after  it  has  been  deposited  in  the  soil 
a  few  weeks,  will  begin  to  yield,  by  the  decomposi- 
tion of  the  gluten  on  its  surface,  a  steady  supply  of 
nutritious  matter,  and  continue  so  to  do,  until  it  be 
resolved  into  its  constituent  parts,  and  form  part  of 
the  soil  itself 

Many  results  might  be  adduced,  of  experiments 
tried  at  various  times,  to  ascertain  the  value  of  entire 
bones  as  manure  to  the  roots  of  vines,  all  of  which 
would  prove,  that  they  yield,  beyond  all  comparison, 
a  xnoxe  permanent  supply  of  nourishment  than  can  be 
obtained  from  any  other  substance  used  as  manure. 
The  details  of  these  would  occupy  too  great  a  space ; 
those  of  two,  however,  may  perhaps  be  advantage- 
ously mentioned. 

In  the  year  1826,  several  vines  were  planted  against 
a  wall  having  a  south  aspect,  in  a  border  the  soil  of 
which  is  a  stiff  clayey  loam.  In  the  following  year  a 
quantity  of  bones,  not  more  than  a  bushel,  the  largest 
of  which  was  the  blade  bone  of  a  calf,  was  digged  in- 
to the  border  at  a  distance  of  five  feet  from  the  wall. 
They  were  deposited  altogether  as  a  horizontal  layer 
of  six  inches  in  depth,  the  upper  surface  being  twelve 
inches,  and  the  bottom  eighteen,  from  the  surface  of 
the  border.  In  the  spring  of  1833,  the  border  was 
opened;  in  order  to  ascertain  to  what  extent  the  roots 
of  the  vines  were  nourished  by  these  bones.  On  ex- 
amination, it  was  found  that  the  roots  had  branched 
out  in  every  possible  direction  amongst  the  bones,  the 
surfaces  of  which  were  completely  covered  with  their 
fibres.     The  blade  bone  happened  to  be  in  such  a  po- 


ON    MANURE.  53 

sition,  that  both  sides  of  it  could  be  distinctly  seen,  and 
on  examining  them  minutely,  they  appeared  to  have 
every  part  of  their  surface  covered  with  the  smallest 
fibres  imaginable;  so  small,  indeed,  were  some  of 
them,  that  they  could  scarcely  be  discerned  by  the 
naked  eye.  Their  extremities  were  fixed  on  the  sur- 
face of  the  bone,  as  firmly,  and  in  the  same  manner  as 
a  leach  when  applied  for  the  surface  of  sucking  blood, 
and  they  were  evidently  extracting,  by  means  of  their 
mouths  or  pores,  an  abundant  supply  of  nourishing 
food.  From  the  different  shades  of  color  apparent  in 
many  of  the  larger  parent  fibres,  and  other  indications 
of  annual  growth,  it  appeared,  that  they  had  been  en- 
joying the  banquet  which  this  bone  aftbrded  for  at 
least  five  years;  and  as  it  was  but  little  decayed,  it 
seemed  to  promise  them  a  continuation  of  the  feast 
for  ten  or  fifteen  years  to  come.  The  whole  appear- 
ance of  the  bone  was  singular  in  the  extreme,  being 
completely  enveloped  in  a  mass  of  apparently  beauti- 
ful gauze  net-work. 

The  chief  part  of  the  roots  which  had  multiplied 
so  prodigiously  amongst  these  bones,  was  found  to  pro- 
ceed from  a  single  root,  which  had  pushed  itself  hori- 
zontally, and  in  a  direct  line  through  the  border  till  it 
reached  the  bones,  throwing  out  in  its  course  but  few 
fibres,  the  soil  being  of  an  unfavorable  nature  to  afford 
them  much  food.  The  root  proceeded  from  a  Black 
Hamburg  vine,  which  has  for  several  years  past  pro- 
duced some  of  the  finest-bearing  shoots  1  ever  saw, 
from  which  I  annually  obtain  bunches  of  grapes 
weighing  from  one  to  two  pounds,  with  berries  meas- 
uring from  two  inches  and  a  half  to  three  inches  in 
circumference. 

A  similar  examination  of  another  border  some  years 
since,  produced  the  like  result.  About  seven  years 
previously  to  my  inspecting  it,  a  few  bones  had  been 
inserted  in  the  soil,  one  of  which  was  the  thigh  bone 
of  an  ox.  After  carefully  removing  the  top  spit  of 
the  border,  into  which  tlie  fibres  of  the  roots  had 
pushed  themselves  pretty  thickly,  I  discovered  this 
5*  .  ■        ■    ■  • 


64  ON    MANURE. 

bone  about  a  foot  below  the  surface,  and  about  four 
feet  distant  from  the  stem  of  a  vine.  Tlie  hollow 
part  which  had  contained  the  marrow,  was  open  at 
both  ends.  On  examining  it  I  found  that  a  root  of 
the  vine  had  traversed  the  surface  of  it,  in  a  direct 
line  from  one  end  to  the  other,  throwing  out  an  im- 
mense number  of  small  fibres,  which  covered  its  en- 
tire convex  surface.  On  a  closer  inspection,  and 
tracing  the  course  of  the  root,  it  appeared,  that  when 
it  had  reached  the  end  of  the  bone,  instead  of  push- 
ing straight  forward  into  the  soil,  it  had  turned  down 
over  the  single  thickness,  entered  the  hollow  part,  and 
was  returning,  through  the  inside  of  the  bone,  towards 
the  same  end  at  which  it  first  came  in  contact  with 
it.  The  bone  was  very  thick,  and  though  it  had 
been  in  the  ground  seven  years,  it  presented  scarcely 
any  signs  of  decay.  It  was  so  completely  enveloped 
in  fibres,  that  no  further  examination  could  take  place 
without  putting  the  health  of  the  vine  in  jeopardy. 
This  vine  is  also  a  Black  Hamburg,  and  for  many 
years  past  it  has  annually  produced  both  fruit  and 
current  year's  bearing-shoots,  of  the  very  finest  de- 
scription, although  the  soil  in  which  it  grows  is  far 
from  being  a  rich  one.  The  fact  of  the  root  clinging 
to  the  bone,  and  making  a  retrograde  movement 
through  the  hollow  part  of  it,  rather  than  push  for- 
ward in  to  the  soil,  is  conclusive  as  to  its  decided  pre- 
ference of  the  former  to  the  latter;  and  the  surprising 
nnmber  of  fibres  which,  in  both  of  these  instances, 
were  absorbing  nutriment  through  the  medium  of  their 
spongioles,  or  newly-formed  extremities,  clearly  shows, 
that  whole  bones  deposited  in. the  soil  in  their  fresh 
and  entire  state,  furnish  to  the  roots  of  vines  for  a 
long  period  of  time  an  extraordinary  supply  of  food 
of  the  richest  description. 

I  have  stated  these  circumstances  in  detail,  because 
such  facts  are  worth  all  the  theories  in  the  world. 

Horns  and  hoofs  of  cattle^  or  the  parings  or  shav- 
ings of  them,  may  be  classed  next  to  bones  in  point  of 
value,  while  their  effects  last,  but  their  duration  is  not 


ON   MANURE.  55 

SO  long,  nor  are  they,  indeed,  to  be  procured  in  suffi- 
cient abundance,  to  be  calculated  upon  for  an  ade- 
quate supply. 

Bone  diisi,  is  a  very  powerful  manure,  producing 
immediate  effect,  and  is  lasting  in  its  duration  ;  but 
the  process  of  boiling  bones,  previously  to  their  being 
crushed,  deprives  them  of  their  very  best  qualities. 

The  entire  carcases  of  animals^  or  any  'portions  of 
them^  dead  birds,  <^'c.  (^^c,  independently  of  their 
bones,  yield,  after  decomposition,  an  extraordinary 
supply  of  food  for  the  roots  of  vines,  impregnating 
the  soil  all  around  with  a  great  quantity  of  nutritious 
matter.  Dead  animals  of  every  description,  therefore, 
such  as  dogs,  cats,  pigs,  (fcc.  that  have  died,  may  be 
thus  disposed  of  in  a  most  advantageous  manner, 
by  depositing  them  in  their  entire  state  in  the  vine 
border. 

Cidiings  of  leatJier,  old  or  neM\  old  shoes,  (^*c.  are  a 
very  valuable  manure,  remaining  in  the  ground  many 
years  before  entirely  decomposed.  The  roots  of  vines 
are  very  partial  to  this  description  of  manure.  1  have 
examined  the  soles  of  old  shoes,  that  have  been  de- 
posited in  the  soil  upwards  of  seven  years,  and  have 
found  their  surfaces  covered  with  fibres,  feeding  eager- 
ly upon  them. 

Woollen  rags,  feathers,  and  hair,  may  all  be  men- 
tioned as  valuable  manures,  yielding,  during  their  de- 
composition, a  great  supply  of  nutritious  matter. 

A  vast  number  of  other  substances  well  known  as 
manures  might  be  enumerated,  but  though  many  of 
these  would  be  found  to  be  very  valuable  with  refer- 
ence to  their  immediate  effect,  their  good  qualities 
being  of  transient  duration,  would  be  entirely  dissi- 
pated before  the  roots  of  the  vines  could  derive  any 
lasting  benefit  from.  them.  Moreover,  powerful  ma- 
nures of  short  duration  excite  vines  to  a  sort  of  pre- 
mature growth,  and  when  the  roots  are  becoming 
strong  and  vigorous,  and  capable  of  absorbing  with 
advantage  a  greater  quantity  of  nutriment,  the  manure 
is  exhausted,  and  the  plants  immediately  make  a  re- 


56  ON    MANURE. 

trograde  movement  in  consequence  of  having  been 
unnaturally  excited  by  a  gluttonous  supply  of  stimu- 
lating food.  Steadiness  of  supply  and  pennanency  of 
duration^  are  the  two  grand  requisites  of  all  manures 
intended  to  be  deposited  in  borders  appropriated  for 
the  growth  of  vines;  and  those  already  enumerated 
have  been  found  by  experience  to  possess  these  valu- 
able qualities  in  a  greater  degree  than  any  other. 

As  a  point  of  culture  of  great  importance  to  be  at- 
tended to,  in  depositing  manure  in  the  soil,  care  must 
be  taken  not  to  dig  it  in  too  deeply.  The  roots  of  vines 
should  be  induced  to  extend  themselves  in  a  horizon- 
tal manner,  and  as  near  the  surface  of  the  border  as 
possible.  Solar  heat  is  generally  supposed  to  pene- 
trate to  the  depth  of  three  feet,  but  its  effects  at  that 
distance  from  the  surface  cannot  be  very  strong,  espe- 
cially in  soils  that  are  of  an  adliesive  nature.  The 
food,  therefore,  that  is  provided  for  the  roots  of  vines 
should  lie  embedded  in  the  soil  in  the  form  of  a  hori- 
zontal stratum  or  layer,  the  top  of  which  should  be 
about  six  inches,  and  the  bottom  not  more  than  two 
feet,  below  the  surface.  Manure  so  deposited  will 
cause  the  roots  to  spread  themselves  out  within  such 
a  distance  of  the  surface  as  will  keep  them  warm  and 
dry,  and  enable  them  to  receive  the  cherishing  influ- 
ence of  the  sun  and  air. 

Liquid  manure.  This  is  a  species  of  manure  that 
is  highly  valuable  where  mimediate  effect  is  required. 
As  the  pores  which  abound  in  the  fibres  of  the  roots 
of  plants  are  too  small  to  admit  of  any  solid  substance 
passing  into  them,  and  can  only  absorb  nutriment 
when  presented  to  them  either  in  a  fluid  or  gaseous 
state,  liquid  manures  act  with  a  far  greater  degree  of 
energy  than  those  of  a  solid  nature,  inasmuch  as  they 
contain  all  the  soluble  parts  of  manure  in  such  a  state 
as  to  admit  of  being  taken  up  by  the  roots  as  soon  as 
applied.  The  most  powerful  are  urvne^  soot-water^ 
bloody  the  drainings  of  dung-heaps^  and  soap-suds, 

Urine^  on  account  of  its  saline  qualities,  is  better 
calculated   to  promote  the  fertility  of  the  vine   than 


ON   MANURE. 


57 


any  other  liquid  whatever.  It  should  he  used  as  fresh 
as  possihle,  and  if  applied  in  the  growing  season,  or 
betwixt  the  middle  of  March  and  the  first  of  Novem- 
ber, it  should  be  mixed  with  an  equal  quantity  of 
water ;  at  any  other  period  of  the  year  it  may  be  cast 
on  the  border  in  its  natural  state. 

Soot,  dissolved  in  water,  in  the  proportion  of  one 
quart  of  the  former  to  twelve  quarts  of  the  latter,  and 
mixed  a  few  days  previously  to  its  being  used,  is  an 
exceedingly  strong  manure,  highly  stimulating  in  its 
nature,  and  a  great  purifier  of  the  soil. 

Blood,  the  draimngs  of  dung-heaps,  and  soap-suds, 
should  be  used  as  fresh  as  possible,  in  order  that  their 
good  qualities  may  be  preserved  entire.  They  are 
all  valuable  manures,  and  calculated  to  enrich  the 
soil  in  a  very  high  degree. 

To  the  foregoing  may  be  added,  every  description 
of  liquid  refuse  that  proceeds  from  a  dwelling-house 
or  human  habitation.  All  such  constitute  a  valuable 
class  of  manures,  and  may,  therefore,  be  applied  to  a 
vine  border  with  the  greatest  advantage.  If  any  be 
too  strong  and  spirituous,  an  equal  quantity  of  water 
should  be  mixed  with  them  previously  to  their  being 
used. 

For  the  purpose  of  top^dresshig,  and  to  be  forked 
into  the  border  when  requisite,  may  be  named  as 
highly  enriching  manures,  night-soil,  fish,  stable  ma- 
nure, and  the  excrements  of  every  description  of  birds 
and  ariimals.  Night-soil  is  a  very  stimulating  ma- 
nure, but  transient  in  its  effects,  which  renders  it 
more  fit  for  a  top-dressing  than  to  be  used  as  a  com- 
ponent part  of  the  border  when  first  made.  If  spread 
on  the  surface  in  a  thin  layer,  it  will  soon  dry,  and 
may  then  be  forked  in,  in  a  pulverized  state. 

In  concluding  these  remarks  on  manure,  it  is  neces- 
sary further  to  observe,  with  respect  to  the  application 
of  liquid  manures  and  top-dressings,  that  care  must  be 
taken  not  to  make  the  surface  of  the  border  too  rich. 
An  excess  of  maniu'e  deteriorates  the  flavor  of  grapes, 
and  is,  moreover,  injurious  to  the  fertility  of  a  vine, 


58  ON    THE    CONSTRUCTION    OF   WALLS. 

inasmuch  as  it  stimulates  the  plant  too  highly,  causing 
thereby  an  excessive  and  unnatural  growth  of  wood, 
which,  being  formed  too  rapidly,  becomes  long-jointed 
and  productive  of  leaf-buds  instead  of  fruit-buds. 
Liquid  manures  and  top-dressings,  therefore,  must  be 
judiciously  applied,  lest  a  rank  and  barren  vegetation 
be  induced,  in  lieu  of  a  healthy  and  fruitful  one. 
This  cautionary  remark  is  the  more  necessary,  as 
vines  are  well  known  to  be  amongst  the  grossest 
feeders  in  nature ;  their  roots  absorbing  with  the  ap- 
petite of  a  glutton  every  description  of  liquid  refuse 
that  is  placed  within  their  reach,  however  fetid  or 
nauseous  it  may  be. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


ON    THE    CONSTRUCTION    OF    WALLS. 

To  ripen  any  of  the  sorts  of  grapes  cultivated  in  this 
country,  sufficiently  to  be  used  as  table  fruit,  requires 
the  shelter  and  reflected  heat  of  a  wall. 

The  proper  height  of  a  wall  intended  for  the  train- 
ing of  vines  upon,  must  depend  in  a  great  measure  on 
local  circumstances.  In  an  unsheltered  situation,  and 
an  aspect  exposed  to  the  injurious  influence  of  west- 
erly or  south-westerly  winds,  I  have  never  seen  fine 
grapes  produced  much  higher  than  eight  feet  from  the 
ground.  But,  in  situations  and  aspects  of  an  opposite 
description,  no  limit  to  the  height  of  a  wall  need  be 
assigned,  for  as  fine  grapes  may  be  matured  at  the 
distance  of  twenty  feet  from  the  ground  as  at  any  less 
height.  Grapes,  when  growing  at  a  less  distance  than 
about  four  feet  from  the  ground,  certainly  enjoy  a 
considerable  increase  of  reflected  heat,  particularly  if 
the  surface  adjoining  the  wall  be  paved  or  covered  with 


ON   THE   CONSTRUCTION    OF    WALLS.  69 

Stones,  or  gravel ;  bat,  on  the  other  hand,  to  counter- 
balance this  advantage,  if  the  aspect  be  east  or  icest^ 
the  sun  will  shine  longer  on  the  upper  part  of  the  wall 
than  on  the  lower  part,  in  consequence  of  which  the 
surface  of  the  wall  will  be  found,  in  general,  pretty 
equally  heated  in  all  its  parts.  But  if  the  aspect  be 
souths  the  solar  rays  during  the  summer  will  strike 
the  entire  surface  of  the  wall  at  the  same  instant  of 
time,  unless  there  be  some  local  impediment;  and  in 
this  aspect,  therefore,  the  lower  part  of  the  wall  will 
always  enjoy  an  increased  degree  of  warmth  from  the 
reflection  of  the  ground.  Hence,  grapes  growing 
within  two  or  three  feet  of  the  bottom  of  a  wall  facing 
the  south,  will,  in  general,  ripen  from  ten  days  to  a 
fortnight  earlier  than  those  growing  on  the  upper  part 
of  it.  There  is  a  disadvantage,  however,  in  training 
grapes  near  the  ground,  as  it  respects  their  remaining 
on  the  vine  after  being  ripe.  If  grapes  can  be  kept 
perfectly  dry,  they  will  hang  on  the  vine,  and  mi- 
prove  in  flavor,  for  a  long  tmie  after  they  are  ripe ; 
but  if  dampness  or  moisture  of  any  description  reach 
them,  the  consequences  are  quickly  seen  in  the  decay 
of  the  berries.  After  the  middle  of  October,  therefore, 
it  will  be  found  a  difiicult  matter  to  preserve  grapes 
that  hang  within  two  feet  of  the  ground,  on  account 
of  the  damp  exhalations  that  continually  arise  from 
the  soil  at  that  period  of  the  year. 

If  walls  be  built  for  the  express  purpose  of  producing 
grapes,  the  most  judicious  expenditure  of  the  materials 
will  be  in  the  erection  of  several  low  walls,  not  more 
than  six  feet  high,  in  preference  to  a  small  number  of 
very  high  walls.  For  the  purposes  of  pruning  and 
training,  and  the  general  management  of  the  vines, 
walls  of  this  height  are  far  more  convenient  than  those 
of  a  greater  height ;  and  if  built  to  run  directly  north 
and  south,  the  entire  surface  of  both  sides  of  each  wall 
will  be  available  for  the  training  of  the  vines ;  and  as 
such  walls  need  not  be  built  at  a  great  distance  apart, 
an  astonishing  quantity  of  grapes  may  be  thus  an- 
nually grown  on  a  small  extent  of  ground,  by  the 


60  ON    THE   CONSTRUCTION    OF   WALLS. 

erection  of  a  k\v  walls  of  this  description,  bnilt  parallel 
to,  and  not  far  distant  from  each  other. 

The  best  materials  for  the  construction  of  vine 
walls  are,  without  doubt,  bricks^  as  they  present  a 
more  even  surface  than  can  be  obtained  from  walls 
built  of  any  other  description  of  materials  ;  and  even- 
ness of  surface  is  a  quality  that  cannot  be  dispensed 
with.  It  is  not  only  necessary  for  the  training  of 
vines  with  precision,  but  if  the  surface  of  the  wall  be 
not  smooth  and  even,  the  grapes  will,  at  times,  be 
considerably  injured,  by  being  blown  to  and  fro  by 
the  wind,  against  the  rough  and  uneven  parts  of  it. 

Dark-colored  flint  ivalls  are  hotter  than  those  built 
of  brick,  but  this  advantage  is  more  than  counterbal- 
anced by  their  uneven  surface.  But  if  the  faces  of 
the  flints  be  well  hammer-dressed,  and  the  joints  of 
the  wall  made  to  run  in  proper  courses,  they  make  a 
handsome  wall,  and  one  that  will  absorb  and  retain 
heat  in  a  greater  degree  than  any  other. 

If  from  local  causes  neither  bricks  nor  flints  can  be 
procured,  stone  of  any  description  may  be  substituted, 
but  the  darker  the  color,  and  tlic  closer  the  texture, 
the  more  will  it  absorb  and  retain  heat,  and  repel 
moisture;  and,  consequently,  the  better  will  it  be 
adapted  for  the  end  in  view. 

As  a  substitute  for  walls,  stout  ranges  of  jmUng^ 
made  of  well-seasoned  wood,  or  of  the  plan  Us  of  old 
ships,  well  coated  over  with  paint,  are  at  times  erected, 
but  grapes  produced  in  this  way  are  seldom  equal  to 
those  grown  on  walls. 

For  the  foundatio?i  of  a  vine  wall,  stone  is  prefera- 
ble to  bricks,  the  former  being  more  solid  and  dura- 
ble. And  if  the  wall  be  an  outer  one,  and  the  soil 
on  the  outside  of  it  be  of  such  a  description  as  to 
render  it  necessary  that  the  roots  of  the  vines  should 
be  prevented  from  getting  into  it,  the  foundation  ought 
to  be  deep,  and  cemented  firmly  together,  so  as  to 
make  it  as  solid  as  possible.  But  if  the  soil,  on  each 
side  of  the  wall,  be  such  as  to  make  it  advantageous 
for   the  roots   to  run  freely  into  it,  no  greater  depth 


ON    THE    CONSTRUCTION    OF    WALLS.  61 

need  be  gone  to,  nor  should  any  more  cement  be  used 
in  putting  the  materials  together,  than  is  necessary  to 
make  the  foundation  sufficiently  strong  and  firm  to 
support  the  superstructure.  The  drier  and  looser,  in- 
deed, that  the  materials  can  be  laid  together,  and  the 
greater  number  of  cavities  and  interstices  that  can  be 
left  in  the  foundation,  the  better  adapted  will  it  be  to 
admit  the  roots  of  the  vines,  which  delight  to  ramble 
amongst  such  materials,  in  preference  to  growing  in 
even  the  richest  soil. 

Blackening  the  surface  of  a  wall^  is  productive  of 
a  considerable  increase  of  heat  as  long  as  the  sun 
shines  upon  it,  but  during  the  night,  and  such  part  of 
the  day  as  the  surface  is  in  the  shade,  it  will  make  the 
Avail  colder.  This  arises  from  the  black-colored  sur- 
face parting  with  its  heat,  immediately  the  sun's  rays 
are  withdrawn.  With  respect,  therefore,  to  walls 
facing  the  east  or  icest^  the  surface  of  which,  even  in 
the  height  of  summer,  do  not  receive  the  solar  rays 
more  than  one  third  of  every  twenty-four  hours,  the 
coloring  them  black  will  be  injurious  rather  than 
otherwise,  inasmuch  as  the  intensity  of  the  cold  in- 
creases in  proportion  to  the  sun's  absence.  But  when 
the  aspect  is  due  south^  or  very  nearly  so,  the  surface 
of  a  wall  may  be  blackened  with  advantage,  as  the 
duration  of  the  sun's  absence  as  compared  with  his 
presence,  in  this  aspect,  is  more  equally  balanced 
throughout  the  summer  months;  and  the  increase  of 
heat,  therefore,  is  more  than  equivalent  to  that  of  the 
cold  ;  the  former  being,  on  a  clear  day,  and  when  the 
sun  is  on  the  meridian,  frequently  from  ten  to  twenty 
degrees  more  than  that  of  the  surface  of  an  unblack- 
ened  wall. 

Linie-icashing  the  siu'face  of  a  vine  wall  every 
year,  will  be  found  very  advantageous  in  keeping  it 
clean,  and  free  from  insects  and  the  growth  of  moss. 
Newly-built  walls  may  be  exempted  from  this  opera- 
tion during  the  three  or  four  years  after  their  erec- 
tion, but  in  every  subsequent  year  it  is  almost  indis- 
pensable. When  the  surlace  of  a  wall  is  covered  with 
6 


62  ON    THE    CONSTRUCTION    OF    WALLS. 

the  foliage  of  a  vine,  the  nails  used  in  the  training  the 
shoots  are  necessarily  numerous,  and  these  being 
withdrawn  at  the  autumnal  pruning,  their  holes  are 
quickly  taken  possession  of  by  various  descriptions  of 
insects.  If  these  be  suffered  to  remain  unmolested, 
they  will  multiply  amazingly  during  the  next  sum- 
mer, and  in  the  autumn  when  the  fruit  is  cut.  the 
bunches  will  be  infested  with  them  to  an  injurious 
degree.  The  nail  holes  may  certainly  be  filled  up 
with  mortar,  but  this  is  a  tedious  operation,  and  pro- 
duces an  unsightly  appearance.  I  have  never  found 
any  thing  so  effectual  as  a  good  coating  of  white- 
wash, made  from  new  lime,  and  of  a  thickish  consist- 
ence. This,  by  filling  up  the  holes  and  other  vacan- 
cies, eftectually  destroys  all  the  vermin,  prevents  the 
growth  of  moss,  and  promotes  not  a  little  the  healthy 
vegetation  of  the  vines.  The  face  of  the  Avail  will 
thus  be  renovated,  and  made  to  look  as  well  as  when 
first  built,  and  its  pure  whiteness  will  add  greatly  to 
the  cheerful  appearance  of  the  garden.  The  proper 
time  of  the  year  to  perform  this  operation  is  at  the  be- 
ginning of  March,  just  as  the  wujter  covering  of  the 
bud  is  about  to  open ;  but  if  the  season  be  forAvard, 
the  last  week  in  February  will  do  better.  The  vines 
should  be  unnailed,  and  held  a  little  distance  from 
the  wall  by  one  person,  while  another  washes  its  sur- 
face, after  which  the  branches  may  be  trained,  and 
nailed  for  the  season,  or  otherwise  temporarily  so, 
until  that  operation  can  be  conveniently  performed. 
If  the  wash  fall  on  any  of  the  branches,  it  will  not  be 
of  the  slightest  conseqaence,  as,  though  a  little  un- 
sightly at  first,  it  will  quickly  disnppcar  at  the  rising 
of  the  sap. 

Projecting  copings^  fixed  on  vine  walls,  though  at- 
tended with  many  advantages,  are  not  without  some 
disadvantages.  They  are  very  beneficial  in  protecting 
the  yoimg  shoots  of  the  vines  from  the  efiects  of  late 
frosts  in  the  spring,  in  preserving  tlie  blossoms  from 
cold  dews  and  heavy  rains,  and  in  keeping  the  grapes 
m  good  condition,  for  a  considerable  period  of  time 


ON  THE  CONSTRUCTION  OF  WALLS.         63 

after  they  have  become  ripe.  They  also  contribute 
to  prevent  the  escape  of  heat  from  the  wall,  and  are 
likewise  extremely  convenient  to  fasten  netting,  bun- 
ting, &c.  to,  when  necessary  to  protect  the  frnit  from 
birds  and  insects.  On  the  other  hand,  they  exchide  a 
portion  of  light  and  air,  and  prevent  the  dew  and  in 
some  measure  the  rain  also,  from  descending  on  the 
foliage,  and  these  are  very  beneficial  after  the  fruit  is 
set,  and  until  it  begins  to  ripen.  Nevertheless  the  ad- 
vantages of  projecting  copings  decidedly  preponderate. 
If  there  were  no  other  benefit  arising  from  them,  that 
of  protecting  the  fruit  from  heavy  rains,  and  thereby 
keeping  it  dry  and  in  good  condition,  for  two  or  three 
months  after  it  is  ripe,  would  be  quite  sufiicient  to 
turn  the  scale  at  once  in  their  favor.  With  respect  to 
the  width  of  the  projecting  part  when  permanently 
fixed,  that  must  depend  on  the  aspect  and  height  of 
the  wall.  If  the  latter  be  less  than  four  feet,  and  the 
aspect  south,  the  coping  ought  not  to  project  at  all, 
as  the  light  and  solar  heat  excluded  by  it,  will  be  a 
serious  drawback  on  the  healthy  vegetation  of  the 
vines.  But  if  the  wall  be  four  feet  high,  then  the 
coping  may  project  as  many  inches,  and  if  this  width 
be  increased  an  inch  every  foot  that  the  wall  increases 
in  height  up  to  twelve  feet,  the  principal  advantages 
arising  from  the  protection  which  a  coping  aftbrds, 
will  be  secured,  in  conjunction  with  the  smallest 
portion  of  its  disadvantages.  If  the  wall  therefore  be 
twelve  feet  high,  the  coping  will  project  a  foot,  more 
than  which  no  coping  should  project,  whatever  may 
be  the  height  of  the  wall.  If  the  aspect  be  casi  or 
uwst,  the  coping  must  be  as  narrow  as  possible,  as 
every  inch  of  projection  in  these  aspects,  causes  a 
considerable  diminution  in  the  duration  of  sunshine 
on  the  surface  of  the  wall.  If  the  height  of  the  wall 
be  less  than  six  feet,  a  projection  had  better  be  dis- 
pensed with,  but  if  it  reach  that  height,  one  of  four 
inches  in  width  may  be  used,  and  this  may  be  in- 
creased half  an  inch  every  foot  the  wall  is  higher, 
until  it  reach  the  width  of  twelve  inches,  which  will 


64  ON    THE    CONSTRUCTION    OF   WALLS. 

give  a  height  of  twenty-two  feet  for  the  wall.  It  is 
seldom  that  a  mere  wall  reaches  this  height;  hut  what- 
ever height  a  wall  may  be,  if  the  width  of  the  coping 
correspond  to  these  proportions,  the  advantages  de- 
rived therefrom  will  be  as  great  as  can  be  obtained  in 
these  aspects,  without,  in  an  injurious  degree,  exclud- 
ing the  solar  rays.  It  may  be  remarked  also,  that  a 
projection  of  ^ess  than /owr  inches  in  width  on  a  vine 
wall  is  calculated  to  do  more  harm  than  good,  as  the 
drip  will  fall  on  the  fruit,  which,  in  any  stage  of  its 
growth,  will  greatly  injure  it. 

Moveable  icooden  cojnngs  may  be  used  with  great 
advantage,  as  they  produce  all  the  benefit  of  fixed 
copings  without  any  of  their  disadvantages.  Copings 
of  this  description  may  project  a  little  more  than  the 
proportions  above-mentioned,  those  being  intended  to 
apply  to  fixed  copings  only.  If  temporary  copings  be 
used,  the  proper  periods  of  the  year  for  their  applica- 
tion will  be  as  follows :  Jirst,  from  the  twenty-first  of 
March  to  the  middle  of  May;  to  protect  the  young 
shoots  from  the  injurious  efllects  of  late  frosts,  and  from 
descending  cold; — seco7idly ^  irom.  the  first  expanding 
of  the  blossoms,  until  the  berries  are  well  set; — and, 
tMrdly.  from  the  period  of  the  berries  becoming  trans- 
parent, and  showing  symptoms  of  ripening,  until  the 
fruit  be  all  cut  from  the  vines.  During  this  last-men- 
tioned period,  the  coping  will  prove  of  the  greatest 
advantage  in  keeping  the  fruit  dry^  for  it  may  be 
remarked,  that  as  soon  as  grapes  begin  to  make  their 
last  swell,  which  is  indicated  by  their  becoming 
transparent,  not  a  drop  of  rain  should  ever  be  suffered 
to  fall  upon  them,  if  it  can  possibly  be  avoided.  All 
the  moisture  which  they  stand  in  need  of  they  will 
freely  imbibe  from  the  atmosphere. 

In  concluding  these  observations  on  the  construc- 
tion of  walls,  it  must  be  further  observed,  that,  in 
addition  to  the  surface  of  a  vine  wall  being  as  smooth 
as  possible,  it  ought  also  to  be  a  true  perpendicular, 
and  the  wall  itself  to  run  in  a  straight  line.  These 
qualities  are  necessary  to  ensure  an  equal  distribution 


ON    THE    PROPAGATION    OF    VINES.  65 

of  solar  heat  on  its  surface,  and  also  an  exemption 
from  the  increased  action  of  violent  winds,  which  is 
sure  to  be  generated  in  some  way  or  other,  if  the  wall 
be  bnilt  otherwise  than  in  a  straight  line. 


CHAPTER  YIII. 


ON    THE    PROPAGATION    OF    VINES. 

Vines  are  propagated  in  the  open  ground,  by  layers, 
and  by  cuttings. 

By  layers.  This  is  the  most  expeditious  method 
of  raising  vines,  provided  the  shoots  be  laid  down  in 
2mts^  and  j^lanted  out  the  same  summer.  But  vines 
raised  from  shoots  laid  down  in  the  open  ground, 
seldom  ripen  their  roots  well,  and  are,  tlierefore,  in- 
ferior to  those  raised  from  cuttings.  There  is  also 
another  objection  to  this  mode  of  propagating  vines. 
No  shoots  of  a  well-established  vine  can  be  laid  down 
in  a  border,  without  the  roots  growing  amongst  those 
of  the  parent  vine.  When  the  proper  season  arrives 
for  the  removal  of  the  young  plant,  the  ground  re- 
quires to  be  digged  to  the  depth  of  eighteen  inches, 
in  order  to  take  up  its  roots  as  entire  as  possible. 
Now,  a  vine  border  cannot  be  digged  to  this  depth, 
nor  indeed  anything  like  it,  without  very  greatly 
injuring  the  roots  of  the  parent  vine.  For  this  rea- 
son, therefore,  and  on  account  of  the  roots  of  young 
plants  so  raised,  frequently  dying  off  to  a  considerable 
extent  in  the  ensuing  winter,  through  not  being  suffi- 
ciently ripened,  the  raising  of  vines  by  layers  in  the 
open  ground  may  be  regarded  as  an  inferior  method 
of  propagation. 

To  raise  vines  by  laying  down  the  shoots  in  pots, 
to  be  planted  out  in  the  current  summer,  the  follow- 
6* 


66  ON    THE    PROPAGATION    OF    VINES. 

ing  directions,  if  observed,  will  ensure  success.     For 
each  layer  procure  a  pot  of  the  size  of  No.  24,  and 
prepare  some  rich  mould,  which  must  be  sifted  very- 
fine.     Put  a  large  piece  of  potsherd,  or  a  good-sized 
oyster  shell,  over  the  hole  at  the  bottom;  fill  the  pot 
about  two-thirds   full   with   the  mould,   and   sink  it 
three  inches   below  the  surface  of  the  soil.      Then 
take  the  shoot,  the  four  last  buds  of  which  will  be 
required  to  form  the  layer,  and  cut  the  foitrlh  bud 
cleanly  and  smoothly  out,  so  that  no  shoot  can  after- 
wards push  from  it.     Bend  the  shoot  carefully  down 
in  such   a  manner,  that  the  second  and  thh'd  buds 
shall  be  at  least  three  inches  below  the  surface  of  the 
mould  when  filled  in,  and  the  Jlrsi  bud  even  with  it, 
or  racher,  just  peeping  out  of  the  mould.     Secure  the 
shoot  firmly  in  this  position,  so  that  its  own  force  will 
not  raise  it  up,  then   fill   the  pot  up  with  mould  to 
within  half  an  inch  of  the  top,  which  space  must  be 
left  for  the  purpose  of  holding  liquid  manure.     If  the 
mould  settle  down  afterwards,  and   leave  a  greater 
space  than  this,  more  must  be  added  to  make  good 
the  deficiency.     Shoots  may  be  thus  laid  down  any 
time  from  the  fall  of  the  leaf  to  the  middle  of  March. 
The  latter  period  will  be  quite  early  enough,  as  no 
roots  wiU  be  made  before  the  latter  end  of  Jiuie,  or 
the  beginning  of  July.      After  the  first  of  April,  the 
mould  in  the  pot  must  be  constantly  kepi  inolst^  for 
which  purpose  supply  it  as  often  as  necessary  with 
soap-suds   or   the   drainings   of  a    dung-heap.     The 
layer  must  be  separated  from  the  parent  vine  some- 
time between  the  twentieth  of  xAugust  and  the  first 
of  September,  and  planted  out  immediately,  with  the 
ball   of  earth   entire,  in  the   situation   in  which  it  is 
intended  to  remain.     Supply  it  plentifully  with  liquid 
manure  of  the  above-mentioned  description,  through- 
out the  remainder  of  the   season  till  the  fall  of  the 
leaf     It  is  not  necessary  to  ring,  twist,  cut,  or  pierce 
the  layer,  before  bending  it  down  in  the  pot :   keeping 
the  mould  constantly  moist  with  liquid  manin-e,  will 
excite  it   to  root  very  freely  williout  any  such  opera- 


ON    THE    PROPAGATION    OF    VINES.  67 

tion.      If  the   foregoing  directions  be   followed,   the 
roots  will  be  four  feet  long  before  the  winter  sets  in. 

It  is  necessary,  however,  to  state  distinctly,  that 
the  success  of  the  operation  depends  entirely  on  keep- 
ing the  mould  in  the  pot  continually  moist^  on  separat- 
ing the  layer  from  the  parent  vine  at  the  time  above- 
mentioned^  on  iminediately  planting  it  in  the  spot 
where  it  is  to  remain^  and  in  keeping  it  ivell  supplied 
with  liquid  manure  throughout  the  remaining  part  of 
the  season.  If  the  layer  were  suffered  to  maintain  its 
union  with  the  parent  vine  throughout  the  autumn, 
the  roots  would  nearly  all  die  away,  in  consequence 
of  their  not  having  attained  to  a  sufficient  degree  of 
maturity  to  support  their  own  vitality.  If  the  termi- 
nal bud  when  it  bursts,  should  show  fruit,  the  latter 
must  be  pinched  off  immediately ;  and  as  the  shoot 
advances  in  growth,  it  must,  as  often  as  necessary, 
be  tied  to  a  stake,  or,  what  will  be  much  better, 
trained  against  the  wall.  The  tendrils  should  be  cut 
off  as  soon  as  they  are  about  four  inches  long,  and  the 
lateral  or  side  shoots  kept  pinched  back  to  one  eye. 
At  the  end  of  the  season,  as  soon  as  the  leaves  are 
shed,  the  plant  must  be  cut  down  to  the  two  lower- 
most buds.  It  may  be  remarked,  that  by  laying 
shoots  in  this  manner,  tine  grapes  may  be  grown  in 
pots  for  the  purpose  of  being  cut  from  the  parent  vine 
when  the  fruit  is  ripe,  and  produced  at  table  as  living 
plants  in  full  bearing. 

By  cuttings.  This  is  the  best  method  of  propaga- 
ting vines  in  the  open  ground,  when  the  plants  are 
either  to  be  raised  in  the  situation,  where  they  are 
finally  to  remain,  or  to  be  transplanted  in  tlie  ensuing 
winter,  or  at  any  subsequent  period.  To  provide  cut- 
tings to  be  planted  at  the  proper  season,  select  at  the 
autumnal  pruning  a  sufficient  number  of  shoots  of 
the  preceding  summer's  growth.  Choose  such  as  are 
well-ripened,  of  a  medium  size,  and  moderately  sliort- 
jointed.  Cut  them  into  convenient  lengths  of  six  or 
eight  buds  each,  leaving  at  the  ends  not  loss  than  a 
couple  of  inches  of  the  blank  wood  for  the  protection 


68  ON    THE    PROPAGATION    OF   VINES. 

of  the  terminal  buds.  Stick  these  temporary  cuttings 
about  nine  inches  in  the  ground,  in  a  warm  and  shel- 
tered situation,  where  they  will  be  effectually  pro- 
tected from  the  severity  of  the  winter.  The  best 
time  to  plant  them  out,  is  about  the  middle  of  March, 
but  any  time  from  the  first  of  that  month  to  the  tenth 
of  April  will  do  very  well.  When  this  period  arrives, 
if  the  young  vines  about  to  be  raised  are  afterwards 
to  be  transplanted,  choose  such  a  situation  for  the 
planting  of  the  cuttings,  as  is  well  sheltered  from  the 
wind,  and  not  too  much  exposed  to  the  sun.  More 
than  six  hours  sunshine  in  any  day  will  be  injurious 
rather  than  beneficial,  and  with  respect  to  the  wind, 
if  the  cuttings  be  not  protected  from  its  injurious 
effects,  they  will  scarcely  strike  at  aU,  even  in  the 
very  best  prepared  soil.  A  moderate  portion  of  sun- 
shine, and  effectual  shelter  from  the  wind,  are  abso- 
lutely necessary  to  ensure  the  growth  of  the  cuttings. 
Previously  to  planting  them,  the  soil  must  be  well 
prepared  for  their  reception,  by  being  digged  to  the 
depth  of  eighteen  inches,  and  the  earth  made  very 
fine.  If  it  be  in  any  degree  stift'  or  heavy,  take  two- 
thirds  of  it  entirely  away,  and  supply  its  place  with 
light  rich  mould,  or  road  scrapings.  For  every  cut- 
ting, add  half  a  spit  of  well  rotted  dung  from  an  old 
cucumber  bed,  and  mix  the  whole  well  together, 
making  it  as  fine  as  possible.  This  being  done,  pre- 
pare the  cuttings  in  the  following  manner.  Cut  the 
shoots  into  lengths  containing  two  buds  each,  and  let 
the  uppermost  buds  have  an  inch  of  the  blank  wood 
remaining  beyond  them.  The  extremities  of  these 
must  be  cut  in  a  slanting  manner,  and  the  slant  sides 
be  opposite  to  the  buds.  Take  the  other  ends  of  the 
cuttings  that  are  to  be  inserted  in  the  ground,  and  cut 
them  transversely  7z/5^  beloio  the  buds,  m\&  the  cut- 
tings will  be  complete.  The  pruning  knife  should 
be  very  sharp,  so  that  the  cuts  at  the  ends  may  be 
perfectly  smooth.  The  length  of  each  cutting  be- 
twixt the  two  buds,  should  not  be  less  than/b^^r,  nor 
more  than  six  inches,  in  order  that  the  bottom  buds 


ON    THE    PROPAGATION    OF    VINES.  69 

may  be  at  such   a  distance  from  the  surface  of  the 
soil,  as  will  best  promote  their  vegetation. 

The  cuttings  being  thus  prepared,  must  be  planted 
immediately,  for  which  purpose  make  holes  in  the 
ground  (about  a  foot  apart  each  way,  if  the  plants 
when  raised  are  to  be  subsequently  transplanted)  with 
a  stick  about  the  size  of  the  cuttings,  and  insert  the 
latter,  so  that  the  uppermost  buds  shall  be  just  even 
with  the  surface  of  the  ground.  Press  the  mould 
close  round  each  cutting,  in  order  to  prevent  the  sun 
and  air  drying  up  its  juices.  If  the  mould  should 
subsequently  sink  down,  and  leave  the  buds  above 
the  surface,  more  must  be  added  to  keep  them  even 
with  it.  After  the  first  of  May,  care  must  be  taken 
to  keep  the  soil  round  the  cuttings  constantly  moist. 
For  this  purpose,  supply  each  cutting  as  often  as 
required,  according  to  the  state  of  the  weather,  with 
about  a  pint  of  soap-suds ;  and  continue  so  to  do,  until 
it  has  formed  a  communication  with  the  soil,  which 
will  soon  be  rendered  apparent  by  the  protrusion  of  a 
shoot,  and  its  daily  elongation.  When  the  bud  bursts, 
the  process  of  evaporation  commences,  and  if  the 
moisture  in  the  cutting  be  consumed  quicker  than  the 
latter  can  absorb  it  from  the  soil,  the  young  leaves 
turn  yellow  and  die,  and  the  vitality  of  the  cutting 
will  be  in  danger  of  being  destroyed.^  It  is  indispen- 
sable, therefore,  that  the  soil  round  each  cutting  should 
be  constantly  kept  inoist.  in  order  that  the  latter  may 
absorb  sufficient  nourishment  to  supply  the  bud  with 
food,  until,  by  the  emission  of  roots,  it  has  established 
a  communication  with  the  soil,  and  is  thereby  enabled 
to  feed  itself.  As  soon  as  the  cuttings  have  protrnded 
shoots  about  three  inches  long,  and  their  leaves  have 
a  healthy  appearance,  watering  may  cease  for  a  time, 

*  If  the  first  shoot  that  pushes  from  the  cutting  should  die  off,  which, 
at  times,  it  will  do,  even  after  it  has  grown  five  or  six  inches  in  lengtli, 
the  cutting  must  not  on  that  account  he  taken  up,  because  another  shoot, 
produced  from  the  bottom  bud,  will  most  probably  push  througli  the 
socket  of  the  decayed  one  about  the  middle  of  the  summer,  or  as  soon  as 
the  bottom  bud  becomes  sufficiently  warmed  by  the  sun  to  emit  roots,  and 
thereby  form  a  communication  with  the  soil. 


70  ON    THE    PRUNING    OF    VINES. 

but  throughout  the  summer,  when  the  weather  is  dry, 
the  young  plants  should  be  assisted  in  their  growth 
by  the  moderate  application  of  liquid  manure.  Soap- 
suds are  the  best  for  this  purpose,  but  dung- water  Avill 
do  very  well,  provided  it  be  not  too  powerful.  The 
surface  of  the  soil  round  the  cuttings  should  never  be 
allowed  to  cake  or  get  hard,  but  should  be  kept  open, 
and  in  a  fresh  and  finely-pulverized  state,  by  being 
as  often  as  necessary,  forked  lightly  up.  As  the 
shoots  advance  in  growth,  they  must  be  constantly 
kept  staked,  or  nailed  to  the  wall ;  and  their  tendrils 
and  lateral  shoots  managed  throughout  the  summer, 
in  the  same  manner  as  those  of  the  layers.  At  the 
fall  of  the  leaf  cut  every  plant  down  to  the  two  lower- 
most buds. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


ON    THE    PRUNING    OF    VINES. 


Pruning  and  Training  are  so  closely  connected 
together,  and  so  mutually  dependent  on  each  other, 
that  they  almost  constitute  one  operation.  In  pruning 
a  vine,  regard  must  be  had  to  the  manner  in  which  it 
is  afterwards  to  be  trained;  and  in  training  it,  the 
position  of  the  branches  must,  in  a  great  measure,  be 
regulated  by  tl)e  mode  in  which  it  has  previously 
been  pruned.  Nevertheless,  the  two  operations  are 
sufficiently  distinct  to  be  treated  of  separately,  al- 
though many  observations  that  will  be  made  will 
relate  as  much  to  the  one  as  to  the  other. 

The  chief  object  in  pruning  a  vine  is  to  increase 
its  fertility;  which  is  effected  by  cutting  out  the 
superabundant  wood  which  it  annually  produces,  and 
adjusting  the  number  and  length  of  the  branches  that 


ON    THE    PRUNING    OF    VINES.  71 

are  to  remain,  to  the  capacity  of  the  plant  for  the 
maturation  of  its  next  crop  of  fruit,  and  for  the  pro- 
duction of  future  bearing- wood.  The  necessity  for 
this  operation  will  appear  evident  when  it  is  consid- 
ered; Jirst^  that  the  shoots  of  a  vine  which  bear  fruit 
one  year,  never  bear  any  afterwards; — secondly^  that 
those  parts  of  the  shoots  that  grow  in  the  latter  part 
of  the  summer,  are  not  sufticiently  ripened  to  produce 
fruit; — thirdly^  that  a  great  number  of  shoots,  in- 
cluding those  that  push  from  the  bases  of  the  buds, 
and  which  are  thence  called  lateral  or  side  shoots,  are 
too  small,  and  otherwise  unfit  to  produce  fruit; — 
and,  fourthly^  that  a  vine  in  vigorous  growth  and 
under  judicious  management,  will  annually  produce  a 
much  greater  number  of  buds,  that  would  bear  fruit 
in  the  following  year,  if  retained,  than  it  can  possibly 
bring  to  perfection.  To  get  rid,  therefore,  of  all  this 
useless  and  superabundant  wood,  the  operation  of 
pruning  must  be  resorted  to;  and  as  the  excess  is 
very  great,  the  pruning  knife  must  be  exercised  in  a 
correspondingly  severe  manner,  in  order  to  restore  the 
balance  betwixt  the  roots  and  the  branches.  From 
these  considerations  it  follows,  that  the  judicious 
pruning  of  a  vine  is  one  of  the  most  important  points 
of  culture  throughout  the  whole  routine  of  its  man- 
agement. 

There  are  three  methods  of  pruning  vines,  in  prac- 
tice amongst  gardeners;  namely,  long  pruning^  spiir- 
pruning^  and  the/rtM  oy  fruit-tree  method.  The  first 
mentioned  is  that  which  will  hereafter  be  shown  to 
be  the  most  eligible  method  of  pruning  a  vine,  which, 
with  respect  to  this  point  of  cultiu'e,  requires  to  be 
treated  very  differently  to  every  other  description  of 
fruit-tree  cultivated  in  this  country.  Many  elaborate 
directions  on  this  subject  have  been  given  by  writers 
on  gardening,  but  these  being,  in  general,  based  upon 
no  definite  principle,  cannot  with  any  degree  of  cer- 
tainty be  reduced  to  practice.  The  truth  is,  that 
although  the  fertility  of  a  vine  depends  in  a  great 
measure  on  the  manner  in  which  it  is  pruned  from 


72.  ON    THE   PRUNING   OF   VINES. 

time  to  time ;  and  that  for  various  reasons,  the  opera- 
tion may  be  supposed  by  those  who  are  unacquainted 
v/ith  the  nature  of  the  plant,  to  be  intricate,  and  to 
require  a  considerable  portion  of  skill,  yet  the  con- 
trary is  the  fact;  for,  if  the  principle  on  which  it  is 
to  be  performed  be  carefully  kept  in  view,  the  whole 
art  of  pruning  a  vine  lies  in  a  nut-shell. 

In  order  to  render  this  art  as  clear  as  possible,  the 
reasons  on  which  it  is  founded  require  to  be  distinctly 
shown.  For  this  purpose  it  is  necessary  to  make  an 
important  preliminary  remark,  namely;  that  the  old 
wood  of  a  vine,  or  that  which  has  previously  borne 
fruit,  is  not  only  of  no  further  use  at  any  subsequent 
period,  but  is  a  postive  injury  to  the  fertility  of  the 
plant.  Tlie  truth  of  this  remark  depends  on  the  fact, 
that  every  branch  of  a  vine  that  produces  no  foliage, 
appropriates  for  its  own  support  a  portion  of  the 
juices  of  the  plant  that  is  generated  by  those  branches 
that  do  produce  foliage.  To  prove  this  fact,  and  to 
make  it  as  clear  as  possible,  it  will  be  necessary  to  de- 
scribe, briefly,  and  in  part,  the  process  by  which  the 
life  of  a  vine  is  sustained,  and  its  parts  annually 
nourished. 

The  iirst  movement  of  the  sap  in  the  spring  takes 
place  in  the  branches,  and  lastly  in  the  roots.  The 
buds,  in  consequence  of  tlie  increasing  temperature  of 
the  air,  first  swell  and  attract  the  sap  in  their  vicinity. 
This  fluid  having  lain  dormant,  or  nearly  so,  through- 
out the  preceding  winter,  becomes  gradually  expanded 
by  the  influence  of  the  solar  rays,  and  supplies  the 
buds  with  nourishment  from  the  parts  immediately 
below  them.  The  vessels  which  yield  this  supply, 
becoming  in  consequence  exhausted,  are  quickly 
filled  by  fluid  from  the  parls  below  tJicni^  and  in  this 
manner  the  motion  continues  until  it  reaches  the 
roots,  the  grand  reservoir  of  the  sap;  by  which  time 
the  solar  heat  having  penetrated  the  soil,  the  roots 
begin  to  feel  its  enlivening  influence.  The  whole 
body  of  sap  then  begins  to  move  upwards,  and  as 
soon  as  the  quantity  propelled  is  more  than  sufficient 


ON   THE   PRUNING   OF    VINES.  73 

to  distend  all  the  vessels  in  the  stem  and  the  branches, 
the  buds  begin  to  elongate  and  imfold.  This  takes 
place  in  general  about  the  vernal  equinox.  From  this 
time  the  fluid  becoming  more  expanded  every  hour, 
its  ascent  is  simultaneously  increased  in  force  and 
velocity.  The  vessels  in  the  branches  being  filled  to 
repletion,  the  buds  quickly  open,  and  shoots  and 
leaves  rapidly  protrude.  The  beginning  of  May 
arrives,  and  by  that  time  the  sap  being  in  full  motion, 
all  is  life,  vigor,  and  activity,  from  one  extremity  of 
the  vine  to  the  other. 

The  leaves  attract  the  sap  as  soon  as  it  reaches 
their  vicinity,  and  by  one  of  the  most  wonderful  pro- 
cesses that  can  be  conceived,  the  result  of  exquisite 
organization,  elaborate  and  prepare  it,  and  render  it 
fit  for  the  nourishment  of  all  the  parts  of  the  plant. 
The  sap  after  being  thus  prepared,  is  called  \he  projjer 
jidce  of  the  plant.  It  then  returns  downwards  be- 
twixt the  bark  and  the  alburnum,  and  in  its  descent 
is  distributed  laterally  to  every  part  of  the  plant,  until 
it  finally  reaches  the  extremities  of  the  roots.  During 
its  descent,  a  considerable  portion  of  it  is  expended 
in  the  formation  of  a  concentric  layer  of  woody  sub- 
stance betwixt  the  bark  and  the  wood,  on  every 
branch,  and  also  on  the  stem,  which  layer  becomes 
the  new  alburnum. 

Now  it  is  of  importance  to  remember,  that  eve?y 
branch  annually  requires  this  new  concentric  layer; 
— that  this  layer  is  formed  from  the  proper  juice  pre- 
pared in  the  leaves; — and  that  the  thickness  or  thin- 
ness of  this  layer  depends  on  the  proportion,  which 
the  quantity  of  proper  juice  so  prepared,  bears  to  the 
number,  length,  and  size  of  the  branclies,  which  it 
has  in  its  descent  to  cover  and  feed. 

If,  therefore,  the  foliage  of  a  vine  be  strong  and 
vigorous  in  its  growth,  and  there  be  no  naked  branches 
betwixt  the  stem  and  the  shoots  which  produce  the 
foliage;  then  the  proper  juice  in  its  descent  will  de- 
posit on  the  stem  a  thick  layer,  and  will  aUo  descend 
into  the  roots  in  great  quantity.  But  if  there  be  a 
7 


74  ON    THE    PRUiMNG   OF   VINES. 

great  number  of  naked  branches  which  the  proper 
juice  in  its  descent  has  to  clothe  and  nourish;  then, 
having  to  spread  itself  over  a  much  greater  surface, 
the  new  layer  will  be  comparatively  a  thin  one,  and 
the  surplus  left  to  enter  the  roots,  'proportionately 
lessened  in  quantity.  And,  further,  if  the  foliage  be 
weak^  which  is  invariably  indicated  by  the  shoots  and 
leaves  being  small  in  size,  and  sickly  in  appearance, 
and  the  vine  contain  many  naked  branches,  then  the 
quantity  of  proper  juice  prepared  in  the  leaves  will 
be  so  small,  in  proportion  to  the  demands  which  in 
its  descent  will  be  made  upon  it,  that  a  new  layer 
will  with  difficulty  be  formed  at  all,  while  but  a  very 
small  2^ortion  of  the  proper  juice  will  be  left  to  de- 
scend into  the  roots. 

Again,  the  formation  of  this  concentric  layer  being 
continued  from  the  stem  downwards  on  all  the  roots, 
the  latter  become  increased  in  their  solid  diameter,  in 
direct  proportion  to  the  quantity  of  the  proper  juice 
which  they  thus  receive.  Whatever,  therefore,  con- 
tributes to  diminish  this  quantity  of  proper  juice,  pre- 
vents in  a  proportionate  degree  the  growth  of  the 
roots ;  while  on  the  other  hand,  whatever  causes  an 
increase  of  it,  produces  effects  precisely  opposite. 
Further,  there  is  no  reason  to  believe  that  tlie  naked 
branches  of  a  vine,  especially  such  as  are  more  than 
two  or  three  years  old,  are  in  any  vv^ay  instrumental 
in  increasing  the  volume  of  sap  in  its  ascent;  the 
processes  of  transpiration  and  absorption  which  they 
carry  on,  being  limited  in  their  effects  to  the  preser- 
vation of  their  own  vitality. 

From  the  foregoing  observations,  therefore,  it  ap- 
pears, that  every  naked  branch  of  a  vine,  or  one  that 
does  not  directly  produce  foliage,  diminishes  the  ca- 
pacity of  the  plant  for  the  production  of  young  bea.r- 
ing  shoots,  inasmuch  as  it  contributes  nothing  to  the 
growth  of  the  vine,  but,  on  the  contrary,  requires  to 
be  fed  annually  with  a  certain  portion  of  the  elabor- 
ated juice  of  the  plant,  which  would  otherwise  be  ex- 
pended in  the  enlargement  of  the  diameter  of  its  stem, 


ON    THE    PRUNING   OF    VINES.  7-5 

and  thereby  the  increase  of  its  capacity  to  mature 
fruit;  and  in  the  extension  and  multiphcation  of  its 
roots.  Naked  branches,  therefore,  are  consumers, 
but  not  producers;  or,  in  other  words,  drones  in  the 
hive.  If  the  vine  were  cuhivated  for  the  sake  of  its 
wood,  the  case  would  be  different.  The  growth  and 
extension  of  large  branches,  and  the  increase  of  their 
diameters,  would  then  be  the  legitimate  object  in 
view;  but  when  fruit  only  is  sought,  and  the  opera- 
tion of  pruning  resorted  to,  in  order  to  obtain  the 
largest  quantity  within  the  smallest  possible  extent  of 
a  given  surface  of  walling,  it  is  obvious  that  no  des- 
cription of  wood  should  be  suffered  to  remain  in  a 
vine  but  such  as  directly  contributes  in  some  way  or 
other  to  the  production  of  fruit. 

It  follows,  therefore,  that  as  the  sole  object  in  view 
in  pruning  a  vine,  is  to  increase  its  fertility,  the  best 
method  to  accomjplish  this  must  be  that  which  leaves  a 
sufficient  supply  of  bearing-shoots  on  the  least  pos- 
sible proportionate  quantity  of  old  wood. 

It  will  be  necessary  now  to  examine,  which  of  the 
three  methods  of  pruning  before  mentioned,  agrees 
best  with  the  principle  here  laid  down.  First,  there- 
fore, of 

The  fan  method.  Vines  pruned  according  to  this 
method  have  their  branches  trained  in  from  their 
stems  in  a  similar  manner  to  the  spokes  of  a  fan.  To 
this  method  there  are  several  objections,  the  two  prin- 
cipal of  which  dixe,  first,  the  shoots  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  stem  are  too  near  each  other  to  admit  of  either 
the  wood  or  fruit  being  properly  matured,  and  too  far 
distant  from  each  other  at  their  extremities  to  allow 
of  the  fruit  being  judiciously  shaded  and  protected 
by  the  foliage  of  the  adjacent  shoots.  And,  secondly, 
a  vine  pruned  to  be  trained  in  this  manner,  must  of 
necessity  possess  several  branches  radiating  as  it  were 
from  a  common  centre.  These  branches  cannot  con- 
veniently be  trained  otherwise  than  in  straight  lines, 
and  betwixt  a  horizontal  and  a  vertical  position, 
which  is   the   most   objectionable   position   that   the 


76  ON   THE   PRUNING   OF   VINES. 

fruiting  shoots  of  a  vine  can  occupy,  because  the 
ascent  of  the  sap  is  thereby  facihtated ;  in  conse- 
quence of  which  all  the  lowermost  buds  break  very 
weakly,  and  some  not  at  all,  while  the  sap  flies  with 
such  force  to  the  extremities,  that  scarcely  any  good 
bearing-shoots  can  be  made  to  grow  from  the  vicinity 
of  the  stem.  This  necessarily  causes  the  retention 
of  old  naked  wood  at  the  autumnal  pruning,  and  this 
annually  increasing  in  distance  from  the  stem,  no 
species  of  pruning  Avill  prevent  it  occupying  in  a 
short  time  a  disproportionate  extent  of  the  surface  of 
the  wall,  and  causing  all  the  fruit  to  be  borne  at  the 
extremities  of  the  branches.  Other  objections  might 
be  urged,  but  the  foregoing  sufficiently  show,  that 
without  very  disadvantageous  results,  vines  cannot  be 
pruned  to  be  trained  in  the  fruit-tree  method. 

Spur  pruning.  This  is  the  usual  method  adopted 
throughout  the  country  in  the  pruning  of  vines,  but 
although  almost  universally  practised,  it  is  calculated 
in  a  high  degree  to  create  a  large  scaffolding  or  su- 
perstructure of  old  naked  wood.  A  spur  may  be  de- 
fined to  be  a  shoot,  shortened  so  as  to  contain  not 
more  than /o2/r  buds.  If  a  shoot  contain  ^?;e  buds,  it 
cannot  with  proprietor  be  called  a  spur.  Spur  prun- 
ing, therefore,  is  the  annual  shortening  of  the  fruit- 
bearing  shoots  of  a  vine,  so  that  each  shall  contain 
not  more  than  four  buds.  This  being  premised,  it 
will  be  necessary  to  point  out  in  as  distinct  a  manner 
as  possible  the  disadvantages  attending  this  method 
of  pruning  a  vine. 

Pirst^  every  shoot  that  is  sufficiently  large  to  bear 
fruit,  emitted  by  an  established  vine,  if  it  be  trained 
at  full  length  throughout  the  summer,  in  the  manner 
hereafter  mentioned  in  the  chapter  on  training,  will 
produce  at  least  twenty  good  well-ripened  fruit-buds, 
and  each  of  these,  in  the  following  year,  will  produce 
on  an  average  two  bunches  of  grapes,  so  that  a  shoot 
of  this  description  will  hediV  forty  bunches.  Now  if  a 
shoot  be  shortened  to  three  buds,  which  is  the  num- 
ber that  spurs  on  an  average  usually  contain,  two  of 


ON    THE    PRUNING    OF    VINES.  77 

these  will  be  almost  useless,  being  but  imperfectly 
formed,  and  therefore  seldom  producing  fruit.  Only 
the  uppermost  bud  can  be  depended  upon  to  show 
fruit,  and,  consequently,  in  order  to  insure  the  produc- 
tion of  as  many  bunches  of  fruit  as  the  single  shoot 
Avill  bear,  not  less  than  twenty  spurs  must  be  pro- 
vided. This  is  the  parent  of  many  evils.  First, 
these  spurs  if  joined  together  would  be  nearly  three 
times  the  length  of  a  single  shoot;  the  surface  of  the 
wall,  therefore,  which  they  occupy,  will  yield  only 
one  third  of  the  quantity  of  fruit  produced  from  that 
on  which  the  single  shoot  is  trained.  Secondly,  the 
latter  can  be  nailed  to  the  wall  w'lXh  Jive  nails,  where- 
as the  twenty  spurs  will  require  twenty  nails,  and  as 
many  holes  will  be  made  in  the  joints  of  the  wall  by 
driving  them  in.  This  evil  is  not  a  light  one.  More- 
over, a  fourfold  degree  of  trouble  and  lime  will  be  re- 
quired to  nail  and  unnail  these  spurs,  beyond  that 
necessary  for  the  single  shoot.  Thirdly,  the  fruit 
produced  from  the  latter  will  be  far  superior  both  in  size 
and  flavor  to  that  borne  by  the  spurs,  for  this  reason  ; — 
the  best  grapes  are  uniformly  produced  from  the 
fullest-sized  and  best-ripened  buds,  and  these  are  gen- 
erated on  the  shoots,  from  the  beginning  of  May  to 
the  middle  of  July,  and  in  moderately  vigorous  vines, 
range  in  order  on  each  shoot,  from  the  fourth  bud  to 
about  the  twentieth  ;  but  if  a  vine  be  well  established 
and  very  vigorous  in  its  growth,  it  will,  under  a  judi- 
cious system  of  pruning,  produce  on  a  single  shooi, 
from  twenty-five  to  thirty  buds  within  that  space  of 
time.  If  a  shoot  be  spurred,  therefore,  to  three  buds, 
it  will  contain  yione,  and  if  to/oz/r,  only  one  of  these 
well-ripened  buds,  all  the  rest  will  have  been  cut  off' 
in  the  pruning ;  or,  what  is  tantamount  to  it,  the 
shoots  will  have  been  pinched  back  in  the  early  part 
of  the  summer,  just  as  the  vine  was  entering  its  most 
vigorous  state  of  vegetation,  and  about  to  generate  the 
very  best  description  of  fruit-buc^s. 

Secondly,   the   cutting  down  of  a  single  shoot  in 
autumn  to  one  or  two  buds,  in  order  that  it  may  pro- 


78  ON    THE    PRUNING    OF    VINES. 

duce  in  the  next  summer,  a  strong  and  vigorous  shoot 
to  be  reserved  as  a  fruit-bearer,  occasions  to  the  vine 
only  one  wound,  but  the  pruning  of  the  three  shoots, 
that  have  pushed  from  each  of  the  spurs,  will  occasion 
sixty  wounds.  This  is  another  most  serious  evil,  for 
though  a  vine  from  its  inherent  nature  commands  an 
immense  volume  of  sap,  and  can,  therefore,  easily 
overcome  a  wound  here  and  there  inflicted  by  the 
pruning  knife,  it  does  not  follow  that  it  can  overcome 
these  wounds  when  they  are  multiplied  by  scores, 
and  even  by  hundreds,  without  making  such  extraordi- 
nary efforts  as  would  materially  compromise  its  vital 
energies.  The  fact  is,  that  the  immense  number  of 
wounds  caused  by  spur-pruning,  are  highly  injurious 
to  the  health  of  a  vine. 

If  any  doubt  be  entertained  on  this  point,  let  a 
shoot  that  has  been  spurred  five  or  six  years  succes- 
sively be  taken,  and  slit  open  lengthways,  and  it  will 
be  seen  distinctly,  that  the  union  which  has  annually 
taken  place  betwixt  the  older  and  the  younger  wood, 
has  not  been  effected  without  a  considerable  effort  on 
the  part  of  the  vine.  At  the  points  of  union  the  sap 
vessels  will  be  all  crippled,  and  in  some  instances  the 
wood  will  be  found  to  have  died  back  nearly  to  the 
centre  of  the  shoot ;  and  the  sap  being  thus  intercepted 
at  so  many  points  in  its  ascent,  flows  through  the  pa- 
rent limb  to  the  extreme  horizontal  shoots,  thereby 
generating  the  most  vigorous  bearing- wood  at  a  great 
distance  from  the  stem  of  the  vine.  The  proper  juice 
of  the  plant  is  also,  in  its  descent,  very  uselessly  ex- 
pended in  vainly  endeavoring  to  cover  with  a  new  al- 
burnum these  numerous  scars  made  by  the  pruning 
knife,  around  the  edges  of  which  it  accumulates  in 
considerable  quantity. 

Moreover,  although  by  pruning  a  vine,  its  fertility 
is  increased,  its  existence  is  no  doubt  thereby  short- 
ened. The  severing  of  a  healthy  branch  from  any 
tree,  is,  without  doubt,  doing  an  act  of  violence  to  it, 
the  effects  of  which  are  only  overcome  by  the  superior 
strength  of  the  vegetative  powers  of  its  roots.     By  an- 


ON    THE    PRUNING    OF    VINES.  79 

nually  making  many  scores  of  amputations  in  a  vine, 
therefore,  the  energies  of  the  roots  become  paralyzed, 
and  the  eftbrts  which  nature  is  compelled  to  make  for 
self-preservation  are  such  as  to  affect,  to  a  considera- 
ble extent,  the  vital  powers  of  the  plant. 

Thirdly,  by  adopting  the  spur  system  in  the  pru- 
ning of  a  vine,  the  old  branches  must  be  retained,  be- 
cause it  is  on  these  that  the  spurs  are  formed.  These 
branches  being  annually  lengthened,  and  new  spurs 
created  at  their  extremities,  while  the  former  spurs 
become  longer  and  more  naked  every  year,  the  vine 
in  a  {^"^  years  contains  an  immense  assemblage  of  old 
naked  limbs,  presenting  the  most  unsightly  appearance 
imaginable,  and  occupying  the  surface  of  the  wall  to 
the  entire  exclusion  of  young  bearing-shoots.  The 
disadvantages  of  retaining  old  wood  having  been  al- 
ready pointed  out,  it  is  only  necessary  further  to  ob- 
serve, that  these  disadvantages  are  produced  to  the 
greatest  possible  extent  by  spur  pruning. 

For  the  foregoing  reasons,  therefore,  this  method 
may  be  considered  the  most  objectionable  that  can  be 
adopted  in  the  pruning  of  vines  on  open  walls.  It 
may  perhaps  be  practised  with  success  on  vines  under 
glass,  and  also  in  warmer  climates,  because  in  such 
cases  the  sap  being  far  more  highly  elaborated,  will 
produce  fruit  from  the  buds  seated  at  the  bases  of  the 
spurs.  Such  spurs,  therefore,  need  not  be  more  than 
from  half  an  inch  to  an  inch  in  length,  and  they  may 
with  ease  be  retained  for  several  successive  years 
without  becoming  much  longer.  The  results  of  spur 
pruning  under  such  circumstances,  are  very  different 
from  those  which  follow  that  method,  when  practised 
on  vines  trained  on  open  walls  in  this  country. 

Long  jw lining.  'I'his  method  consists  in  obtaining 
all  the  fruit  of  a  vine  from  a  few  shoots,  trained  at  full 
length,  instead  of  from  a  great  number  of  spurs  or 
short  shoots.  To  provide  these  shoots,  the  former 
bearers  are  cut  down  to  very  short  spurs  at  the  au- 
tumnal pruning,  and  at  the  same  time,  a  sufficient 
number  of  shoots  are  left  at  whole  length  to  produce 


80  ON    THE    PRUNING    OF    VINES. 

fruit  in  the  following  year ;  at  the  succeeding  autumn 
these  latter  are  cut  down  to  very  short  spurs,  and  the 
long  shoots  that  have  pushed  from  the  spurs,  are 
trained  at  whole  length  as  before,  and  so  on  annually 
in  alternate  succession.  This  method  reconmiends 
itself  by  its  simplicity;  by  the  old  wood  of  the  vine 
being  annually  got  rid  of;  by  the  small  number  of 
wounds  inflicted  in  the  pruning ;  by  the  clean  and 
handsome  appearance  of  the  vine ;  and  by  the  great 
ease  with  which  it  is  managed,  in  consequence  of  its 
occupying  but  a  small  portion  of  the  surface  of  the 
wall.  These  characteristics  of  long  pruning  are  sufli- 
cient  to  make  that  method  superior  to  every  other. 
As  the  details  of  it  are  given  more  fully  in  the  two 
following  chapters,  it  is  not  necessary  to  describe  it 
further  here.  Before  entering  on  the  subject  of 
Training,  a  few  general  rules  may  be  advantageously 
laid  down  for  the  guidance  of  the  pruner. 

1st. — In  pruning,  always  cut  upwards,  and  in  a 
sloping  direction. 

2d. — Always  leave  an  inch  of  blank  wood  beyond 
the  terminal  bud,  and  let  the  cut  be  on  the  opposite 
side  of  the  bud. 

3d. — Prune  so  as  to  leave  as  few  wounds  as  possi- 
ble, and  let  the  surface  of  every  cut  be  perfectly 
smooth. 

4th. — Tn  cutting  out  an  old  branch,  prune  iteven  with 
the  parent  limb,  that  the  wound  may  quickly  heal. 

5tli. — ^Prune  so  as  to  obtain  the  quantity  of  fruit 
desired,  on  the  smallest  number  of  shoots  possible. 

6th. — Never  prune  in  frosty  weather,  nor  when  a 
frost  is  expected. 

7th. — Never  prune  in  the  months  of  March,  April, 
or  May.  Prunuig  in  either  of  these  months  causes 
bleeding,  and  occasions  thereby  a  wasteful,  and  an 
injurious  expenditure  of  sap. 

8th. — Let  the  general  autumnal  pruning  take 
place  as  soon  after  the  first  of  October  as  the  gather- 
ing of  the  fruit  will  permit. 

Lastly^  use  a  pruning-knife  of  the  best  description, 
and  let  it  be,  if  possible,  as  sharp  as  a  razor. 


ON    THE    TRAINING    OF    VINES. 


81 


CHAPTER    X. 


ON    THE    TRAINING    OF    VINES. 


To  train  a  vine  on  the  snrface  of  a  wall,  is  to  regu- 
late the  position  of  its  branches,  the  principal  objects 
of  which  are,  to  protect  them  from  the  influence  of  the 
wind  ;  to  bring  them  into  close  contact  with  the  wall, 
for  the  purpose  of  receiving  the  benefit  of  its  warmth; 
to  spread  them  at  proper  distances  from  each  other, 
that  the  foliage  and  fruit  may  receive  the  full  effect  of 
the  sun's  rays ;  and  to  retard  the  motion  of  the  sap, 
for  the  purposeof  inducing  the  formation  of  fruit-buds. 

The  flow  of  sap,  it  must  be  remembered,  is  always 
strongest  in  a  vertical  direction,  and  weakest  in  a 
Fio-.  1. 


downward   one;  thus 
direction   of  a,   fig.  1. 
greatest  degree  of  force 
the  roots  can  propel  it 


if  a  shoot  be   trained  in  the 

the  sap  will  ascend  with  the 

with  which   the  strength  of 

if  it  be  trained  in  the  direc- 


tion of  6,  c,  or  d,  that  force  will  be  gradually  dimin- 
ished, as  the  shoot  approaches  the  horizontal  position 
of  d :  nevertheless,  the  difference  in  the  flow  of  the 
sap  betwixt  the  shoot  at  «,  and  that  at  d,  will  not  be 


82 


ON    THE    TRAINING    OF    VINES. 


very  great.  Immediately,  however,  the  horizontal 
line  d^  is  passed,  and  the  shoot  depressed  below  it  in 
the  direction  of  e,  the  sap  receives  a  considerable 
check,  and  the  shoots  that  push  from  it  are  proportion- 
ately weak.  If  trained  in  the  direction  of/,  they 
will  be  weaker  still,  and  if  directly  downwards,  as  at 
g.  the  snpply  of  sap  will  be  barely  sufficient  to  ma- 
ture the  fruit.  And  further,  if  the  shoot,  instead  of 
being  trained  in  a  straight  line,  be  bent  in  a  crooked 
or  serpentine  manner,  the  flow  of  the  sap  will  be 
additionally  retarded.  Thus,  if  it  be  trained  in  a  ser- 
pentine manner,  resembling  the  line  A,  fig.  2,  the  sap 

Fis.  2. 


will  flow  slower  than  if  trained  in  a  straight  line;  if 
like  the  lines  ?*,  /;,  /,  successively  slower,  the  degree 
of  slowness  increasing  in  proportion  to  the  number  of 
bends  or  curves  which  the  shoot  is  made  to  assume. 
If,  therefore,  the  shoot  §•,  fig.  1,  be  closely  serpen- 
tined in  the  manner  of  the  line  /,  fig.  2,  the  sap  will 
be  so  retarded,  that  many  of  the  buds  will  not  burst 
at  all. 

Now,  to  apply  to  a  practical  purpose,  this  principle 
of  retarding  the  ascent  of  the  sap,  by  depressing  or 
serpentining  the  shoots  of  a  vine,  it  will  be  conven- 
ient to  treat  of  it  in  reference  to  winter  training  and 
summer  training. 

Winter  training.  When  the  shoots  are  nailed  to 
the  wall  in  the  early  part  of  the  year,  those  which 
are  trained  at  full  length  as  fruit-bearers,  are  in  all 


ON    T^p    TRAINING    OF    VINES. 


83 


cases  to  be  cut  down  to  the  lowermost  bud  or  two  at 
the  next  autumnal  pruning.  With  respect,  therefore, 
to  all  such  shoots,  no  greater  supply  of  sap  should  be 
permitted  to  flow  into  them,  than  is  necessary  to 
mature  their  fruit,  as  all  above  that  quantity  will  be 
so  much  nourishment  uselessly  expended,  and  taken, 
indeed,  from  the  young  shoots  that  are  to  be  produced 
in  the  current  year  for  future  bearers.  For  example, 
if  the  shoots  1,  2,  3,  4,  fig.  3,  were  trained  in  straight 


lines,  the  sap  wonld  ascend  with  such  force,  that 
many  of  the  lowermost  buds  would  scarcely  break  at 
all,  the  sap  passing  by  them,  and  accumulating  in 
those  at  the  upper  part  of  the  shoots,  which  would 
burst  with  great  force,  and  form  very  strong  shoots; 
these  would  rob  all  the  fruit  on  those  below  of  its 
due  share  of  nourishment,  and  also  the  shoots  emitted 
from  the  spnrs  D;    which,   to  form   good  bearing- 


64  ON    THE    TRAINING    OF  J^INES. 

wood,  require  as  great  a  supply  as  the  fruiting-shoots. 
It  is  true,  tiiat  by  pinching  off  the  extremities  of  these 
latter  ones  in  tlie  spring,  an  eye  or  two  above  the  last 
bunch  of  fruit,  the  sap  will  be  partially  kept  back, 
but  the  ascending  current  having  set  in  very  strongly, 
it  cannot  be  diverted  into  the  other  channels  in  which 
it  is  required,  except  in  a  comparatively  trifling  de- 
gree. But  if,  as  represented  in  the  above  figure,  the 
shoots  be  trained  in  a  serpentine  manner  in  the  early 
part  of  the  year,  before  the  sap  is  in  motion,  it  will, 
in  its  ascent,  be  thereby  made  to  flow  more  equally 
into  all  the  fruiting-shoots  that  push  from  them,  and 
also  into  those  which  will  be  emitted  from  the  spurs 
D,  for  future  bearers.  And  by  bending  the  bottom 
part  of  the  shoots  pretty  circularly  at  «,  the  buds  will 
there  burst  strongly,  and  thus  a  good  supply  of  bear- 
ing-wood will  be  obtained  close  to  the  arms  Z,  Z, 
which  is  of  primary  importance ;  for,  if  by  injudicious 
pruning  or  training,  or  both  combined,  the  sap  have 
an  opportunity  of  exerting  its  full  force  at  a  distance 
from  the  arms,  it  is  sure  to  embrace  it,  and  the  con- 
sequence is,  that  blank  wood  begins  immediately  to 
be  formed  in  all  directions  near  the  stem,  and  when 
that  is  the  case,  no  method  of  pruning  will  ever  again 
procure  a  supply  of  bearing-wood  at  home,  short  of 
that  of  cutting  the  vine  down  to  a  perfect  stump.  In 
training  the  shoots  1,  2,  3,  4,  the  spaces  between 
them  must  be  regulated  by  the  number  of  shoots 
intended  to  be  trained  up  from  the  spurs  D.  Each  of 
these  latter  will  require^z;e  inches  of  clear  space  on 
each  side  of  it,  and  the  former  nine^  for  the  fruiting- 
shoots,  as  represented  by  the  dotted  lines  e,/,  g^  A,  at 
the  shoot  1.  These  shoots,  producing  on  an  average 
two  bunches  each,  are  to  be  topped  one  joint  beyond 
the  last  bunch,  as  directed  in  the  Calendarial  Register, 
June  the  10th. 

For  the  foregoing  reasons  therefore,  the  method  of 
serpentine  training  may  be  considered  preferable  to 
every  other,  being  calculated  in  a  greater  degree  to 
check  the  too  rapid  ascent  of  the  sap,  and  to  make  it 


ON    THE    TRAINING   OF    VINES.  85 

flow  more  equally  into  the  fruiting-shoots,  and  those 
intended  for  future  bearers.  On  walls  that  are  much 
less  than  five  feet  high,  a  portion  of  the  shoots  must 
be  trained  horizontally.     Let  fig.  4,  represent  a  wall 


"•».«» 


four  feet  high,  and  let  the  face  of  it  be  divided  into 
equal  parallel  portions  of  twelve  inches  in  height,  by 
the  horizontal  lines  1,  2,  3,  4;  then  on  each  side  of 
the  stem,  from  the  arms  A,  A,  may  be  trained  two 
fruiting-shoots  at  2,  and  4,  and  the  same  number  of 
current  year's  shoots  at  the  dotted  lines  above  1,  and 
3.  And  in  like  manner,  half  that  number  of  shoots 
may  be  easily  trained  on  a  wall  two  feet  high.  The 
pruning,  in  these  cases,  will  be  precisely  the  same  as 
if  the  shoots  were  trained  vertically  as  in  fig.  3.  In 
a  similar  manner,  also,  a  series  of  vines  may  be 
trained  on  a  high  wall,  allowing  to  each  a  certain 
parallel  space  in  a  horizontal  direction,  and  running 
the  stems  to  such  heights,  as  the  arms  of  each  vine 
are  to  be  trained.  And  when  the  height  of  a  wall 
exceeds  eight  or  nine  feet,  this  method  may  be 
adopted  with  great  advantage;  for,  by  planting  the 
vines  sufficiently  close  to  each  other,  the  surface  of 
the  wall  may,  in  a  very  few  years,  be  completely 
covered  with  fruit  and  bearing-wood. 

But  although  the  mode  of  training  represented  by 
figures  3,  and  4,  may  be  considered  the  most  eligible 
in  all  cases  where  the  surface  of  a  wall  receives  the 
solar  rays  in  an  equal  degree,  yet,  as  it  will  frequently 
happen  that  some  parts  of  the  surface  of  a  wall  are, 
from  local  causes,  either  wholly  or  partially  in  the 
8 


86  ON    THE    TRAINING    OF    VINES. 

shade,  while  the  other  parts  receive  the  full  force  of 
the  sun's  rays,  it  is  necessary  to  observe,  that  in  such 
cases  the  figures  above-mentioned  cannot  be  adhered 
to  without  inconvenience;  the  mode  of  training, 
therefore,  must  in  those  instances  be  governed  entire- 
ly by  local  circumstances. 

It  must  be  remarked,  in  reference  to  the  winter 
training  of  the  shoots,  that  when  they  are  trained  in 
a  horizontal  manner,  there  is  not  that  necessity  for 
serpentining  them,  as  when  they  are  trained  vertical- 
ly ;  unless  the  vegetation  of  the  vine  be  so  extremely 
vigorous,  as  to  generate  wild  or  long-jointed  wood. 
It  may  also  be  further  mentioned,  that  every  shoot 
trained  in  a  serpentine  manner,  ought  to  be  wholly 
cut  down  at  the  next  autumnal  pruning,  after  it  has 
borne  fruit,  as  the  further  retention  of  it  would  produce 
great  confusion  in  the  future  training  of  the  shoots. 

Summer  traiiiing.  In  order  that  the  jvinciples  on 
which  this  important  point  of  culture  is  based,  may 
be  clearly  understood,  it  will  be  necessary  to  point 
out,  as  distinctly  as  possible,  the  circumstances  under 
which  hearing-wood  is  produced. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind,  that  the  fruit  of  the  vine 
is  produced  on  shoots  of  the  preceding  year's  growth, 
or,  in  other  words,  the  grapes  that  are  grown  in  the 
present  year,  1837,  are  produced  from  shoots  grown 
in  1836.  Now,  during  the  growth  of  a  current  year's 
shoot,  all  the  buds  which  it  developes  previously  to 
the  month  of  August  will  be  fruit-buds,  provided, 
firsts  that  the  size  of  the  shoot  be  large  enough  for  its 
vessels  to  convey  a  sufficient  quantity  of  the  juices  of 
the  plant,  to  generate  and  nourish  bunches  of  fruit  in 
embryo;  and,  secondly^  that  the  shoot  be  duly  ex- 
posed to  light,  and  to  the  full  operation  of  the  sun's 
rays,  on  the  surface  of  a  wall,  having  any  aspect, 
south  of,  and  including  the  eastern  and  western  points 
of  the  horizon,  by  which  these  juices  will  be  elabo- 
rated, and  the  process  of  the  formation  of  fruit-buds 
thereby  completed.  If,  therefore,  the  shoot  itself  be 
not  sulficiently   large   to  develope  fruit-buds,  or,  if. 


ON    THE    TRAINING   OF    VINES.  87 

being  so,  it  be  shaded  from  the  sun's  rays,  during  the 
first  protrusion  and  early  formation  of  them,  then,  in 
the  following,  shoots  only  will  be  produced,  but  no 
fruit.  But,  on  the  contrary,  if  the  shoot,  being  of  a 
proper  fruit-bearing  size,  be  constantly  trained  on  the 
surface  of  a  wall,  having  any  of  the  aspects  before 
mentioned,  and  a  clear  space  of  five  inches  be  left  on 
each  side  of  it,  by  which  no  adjacent  foliage  will 
shade  it;  then,  under  these  circumstances,  every  bud 
(except  the  first  two)  produced  previously  to  the 
month  already  named,  will  be  a  fruit-bud,  and  v.nU 
show  accordingly,  when  it  unfolds  in  the  following 
year,  one  or  more  bunches  of  grapes. 

The  cause  of  the  production  of  fruit-buds,  in  the 
latter  instance,  and  of  their  non-production  in  the  for- 
mer, may  be  thus  further  explained.  As  the  shoot  is 
progressively  developed,  if  it  be  shaded  by  any  adja- 
cent foliage,  the  sap  of  the  shaded  part  remains  in  its 
original  thin  and  watery  state,  being  excluded  from 
the  sun's  rays,  which  are  necessary  to  warm  and  elab- 
orate it,  and  thereby  prepare  it  for  the  development 
of  bunches  of  fruit  in  embryo.  The  sap  being  thus 
thin  and  watery,  for  want  of  due  exposure  to  the  sun, 
pushes  on  with  amazing  quickness,  the  shoot  elon- 
gating itself  on  the  surface  of  the  wall,  much  more 
rapidly  than  it  otherwise  would  do,  thereby  forming 
long-jointed  wood,  not  one  bud  of  which  will  be  suf- 
ficiently matured  to  produce  fruit ;  the  principle  of 
growth  having  been  in  full  operation,  but  that  of  ina- 
turation  having  remained  dormant.  But  if  the  shoot 
be  trained  on  the  wall,  and  exposed  to  the  full  power 
of  the  solar  rays,  in  the  manner  already  mentioned, 
the  sap,  by  being  warmed,  becomes  thickened,  or,  as 
it  is  termed,  inspissated,  in  which  state  it  accumulates 
at  the  joints  of  the  shoot,  and  expends  itself  in  the 
formation  of  fruit-buds.  In  this  case  the  principle  of 
growth  and  of  maturation^  will  have  been  in  active 
cooperation. 

I  have  had  good  grapes  produced  from  buds,  form- 
ed as  late  as  the  beginning  of  September  in   a  fa- 


88  ON    THE    TRAINING    OF    VINES. 

vorable  season,  and  also  from  shoots  trained  within 
three  inches  of  each  other,  as  well  as  on  aspects  con- 
siderably north  of  the  eastern  and  western  points  of 
the  horizon  ;  but  as  there  is  some  degree  of  uncer- 
tainty attached  in  these  cases,  they  are  rejected  in  the 
rule,  lest  the  practical  operation  of  it,  might,  in  some 
instances,  be  productive  of  disappointment. 

I  know  of  no  exception  to  this  rule,  for  procuring 
the  development  and  formation  of  fruit-buds,  except 
in  the  case  of  a  vine  having  been  overcropped,  or  in 
that  of  an  exceedingly  vigorous  growth  of  the  shoots, 
the  result  of  the  soil  being  too  highly  manured.  But 
the  former  can  never  happen,  if  the  quantity  of  fruit 
borne  by  the  vine,  be  proportioned  to  its  capacity  of 
maturation,  agreeably  to  the  scale  given  in  the  former 
part  of  this  work  ;  and  the  latter  can  be  easily  reme- 
died, by  training  the  shoots  in  a  curved  direction. 
Indeed,  the  principle  of  retarding  the  flow  of  the  sap, 
by  curving  or  depressing  the  shoots,  may  be  applied 
with  as  much  advantage  to  the  training  of  the  sum- 
mer shoots  of  a  vine,  as  to  that  of  the  shoots  grown  in 
the  preceding  year.  For,  although  by  training  the 
summer  shoots  in  the  manner  before  mentioned,  all 
the  buds  developed  will  be  fruit-buds,  and  -the  num- 
ber and  size  of  their  bunches  be  in  a  great  measure 
regulated  by  the  duration  and  intensity  of  the  solar 
I'ays  they  enjoyed  during  their  formation;  yet  the 
number  and  more  especially  the  size  of  the  bunches 
of  fruit  produced  from  a  bud.  can,  without  doubt,  be 
further  increased  by  the  application  of  this  principle. 
If  a  summer  shoot,  therefore,  every  time  it  is  nailed 
throughout  the  season,  be  bent  or  pointed  in  a  differ- 
ent direction  to  that  in  which  it  grew  at  the  preceding 
nailing,  the  vigor  of  its  growth  will  be  checked,  and 
the  sap  will  immediately  accumulate,  and  expend  itself 
in  forming  round,  short  jointed  wood,  and  in  the  de- 
velopment of  the  finest  description  of  fruit-buds. 
This  is  the  key  to  the  production  of  Icn^ge  bunches 
of  fruit,  which  are  not  the  necessary  consequence  of 
very  large-sized  bearing  shoots,  but  rather  of  sap  that 


ON    THE    TRAINING    OF    VINES.  89 

has  been  acciimulated,  and  highly  elaborated  by  slow- 
ness of  growth,  in  combination  with  full  exposure  to 
the  sun's  rays. 

Sufficient  has  now  been  said  to  show  the  principles 
by  which  the  training  of  the  summer  shoots  of  a  vine, 
that  are  reserved  as  future  bearers,  must  be  regulated 
throughout  the  season.  They  are  simple,  and  of  easy 
practical  application  ;  and  it  is  evident,  that,  by  con- 
forming to  them,  abundant  crops  of  grapes  are  always 
at  the  command  of  the  cultivator. 

Ample  details  of  the  routine  of  summer  training 
being  given  in  the  Calendarial  Register,  it  only  re- 
mains, in  closing  this  chapter,  to  say  a  few  words  in 
reference  to  the  iiailmg  of  the  shoots  to  the  wall. 
Linen  or  cotton  shreds  are  the  best  that  can  be  used 
for  this  purpose,  woolen  ones  being  too  thick,  and 
also  too  retentive  of  moisture.  But  if  woolen  shreds 
be  used,  those  cut  from  old  cloth,  are  better  than 
those  from  new,  as  the  latter  abound  with  oil,  and 
are,  therefore,  pernicious,  especially  to  the  summer 
shoots. 

Strength,  thinness,  and  openness  of  texture,  are 
qualities  necessary  to  form  a  good  shred,  and  these 
will  be  found  combined  in  a  much  greater  degree  in 
linen  or  cotton  fabrics,  than  in  those  made  of  wool. 
The  shreds  should  be  from  three  quarters  of  an  inch, 
to  an  inch  and  a  half  in  breadth,  according  to  the  size 
of  the  shoot  to  be  nailed,  and  they  should  be  cut  suffi- 
ciently long  to  admit  of  space  being  left  for  the  shoots 
freely  to  swell  in,  after  they  are  encircled  by  the 
shreds.  It  must  not  be  forgotten,  that  the  covering  of 
portions  of  the  branches  with  shreds,  and  thereby 
preventing  them  from  receiving  the  benefit  of  the  sun 
and  air,  is,  to  a  certain  extent,  a  direct  injury  to  the 
vegetation  of  the  vine,  and  is  only  resorted  to  because 
there  are  no  other  means  by  which  the  branches  can 
be  confined  in  their  position  on  the  wall,  so  as  to  re- 
ceive the  benefit  of  its  warmth  by  close  contact. 
Bearing  this  in  mind,  therefore,  care  should  be  taken 
8=^ 


90  FIRST   FIVE   years'    MANAGEMENT. 

never  to  use  more  shreds,  nor  any  of  a  greater  breadth, 
than  are  necessary  to  secure  the  branches  in  a  firm 
and  effectual  manner. 


CHAPTER    XI. 


ON    THE    MANAGEMENT   OF    A    VINE   DURING   THE   FIRST    FIVE 
YEARS    OF    ITS    GROWTH. 

As  the  routine  of  practice  hereafter  given  in  the 
Calendarial  Register,  appUes  more  particularly  to 
vines  that  are  well  estabhshed,  and  in  full  bearing,  it 
is  necessary  that  some  practical  directions  should  be 
given  for  the  management  of  young  vines,  until  they 
arrive  at  such  a  state  of  growth,  as  to  admit  of  their 
being  subjected  to  a  regular  course  of  pruning  and 
training.  Previously,  however,  to  this  being  done, 
some  observations  relative  to  the  tronsplaniing  of 
vines,  may,  perhaps,  not  be  unacceptable. 

The  best  time  of  the  year  to  transplant  a  vine  is 
immediately  after  the  fall  of  the  leaf;  the  longer  its 
removal  is  postponed  after  this  period,  the  later  in  the 
ensuing  spring  does  it  begin  to  vegetate.  The  ground 
in  which  it  is  to  be  planted  must  be  prepared  agreeably 
to  the  directions  given  in  the  chapter  on  soil.  This 
being  done,  dig  a  hole  for  the  reception  of  the  vine, 
about  two  feet  deep,  and  of  the  same  width  and 
length ;  and  if,  after  the  plant  is  taken  up,  its  roots 
should  prove  too  long  for  this,  the  size  of  the  hole 
must  be  increased,  as,  on  no  account  must  the  roots 
be  crippled  in  their  extension.  Loosen  the  sides  and 
bottom  of  the  hole,  and  to  the  soil  that  is  taken  out, 
add  a  couple  of  spits  of  well-rotted  dnng,  and  mix  the 
whole  well  together,  making  it  very  fine.  Put  the 
mould  into  the  hole  again  to  within  nine  inches  of 
the  top,  and  it   will  be   ready  to   receive  the  vine. 


MANAGEMENT.  91 

This  must  now  be  carefully  taken  np,  with  its  roots 
as  entire  as  possible,  and  if  any  of  them  be  bruised,  or 
in  any  way  mjured,  they  must  be  pruned  back  to  the 
sound  parts ;  fix  the  vine  in  the  hole  with  its  stem 
about  three  inches  from  the  wall,  and  let  the  bottom' 
bud  be  just  even  with  the  surface  of  the  ground. 
Spread  the  roots  out  in  a  horizontal  direction  at  equal 
distances  from  each  other,  and  in  a  similar  manner  to 
the  spokes  of  a  fan,  and  then  fill  the  hole  with  the 
mould  nearly  to  the  top.  Take  hold  of  the  stem, 
and,  drawing  it  upwards  a  little,  give  it  two  or  three 
good  shakes  with  the  hand,  that  the  mould  may  settle 
well  round  the  roots ;  after  which,  fill  up  the  hole 
with  the  remainder  of  the  mould,  cut  the  vine  down 
to  the  two  bottom  buds,  and  the  operation  will  be 
completed. 

If  the  vine  have  been  raised  in  a  pot,  the  roots  will 
most  probably  be  matted  together,  in  which  case  they 
must  be  freed  from  the  mould,  by  having  it  shaken 
entirely  off";  and  if  any  of  them  should  have  grown 
in  an  adverse  direction,  so  as  to  cross  each  other,  or 
in  any  way  that  is  likely  to  interfere  with  their 
future  growth,  which  is  frequently  the  case  with  the 
roots  of  vines  raised  in  pots,  all  such  must  be  cut 
completely  out,  close  to  the  part  whence  they  have 
sprung.  Also,  such  of  the  roots'  as  are  very  taper  and 
long,  and  that  appear  to  have  been  over-excited  in 
their  growth,  prune  back  to  within  a  foot  of  the  stem, 
or  to  such  parts  as  appear  to  be  sufficiently  strong 
and  healthy  to  generate  new  fibres.  Transplanting 
should  always  be  done  in  dry  and  still  weather,  and 
when  the  soil  works  freely.  During  the  removal  of  a 
vine,  the  roots  must  be  carefully  kept  from  exposure 
to  the  atmosphere,  the  influence  of  which  would  dry 
up  their  tender  extremities,  and  cause  them  to  perish. 
The  better  way  is,  never  to  take  up  a  young  vine 
about  to  be  transplanted,  until  its  new  residence  be 
prepared  to  receive  it,  and  then  to  let  its  removal  be 
effected  as  quickly  as  possible. 

Assuming  now  that  the  vine  thus  transplanted  is  a 


92  FIRST    FIVE    years'    MANAGEMENT. 

young  one,  it  may  be  considered  equal  in  its  growth 
to  one  raised  from  a  layer  or  cutting  in  the  preceding 
summer  ;  and  as  ample  directions  have  already  been 
given  for  the  management  of  a  vine  during  its  first 
summer's  growth,  its  future  culture  will  be  here  taken 
up  at  the  autumn  of  the  first  year,  and  after  it  has  been 
cut  down  to  the  two  lowermost  buds,  as  directed  in 
the  chapter  on  the  propagation  of  vines. 

First  year.  Dec.  1st.  As  long  as  the  weather 
remains  open,  the  soil  round  the  roots  should  not  be 
covered  over,  but  as  soon  as  frost  comes,  a  good  cover- 
ing of  litter,  or  of  well-rotted  stable  manure,  must  be 
laid  over  the  ground  as  far  as  the  roots  extend ;  and  if 
the  weather  be  very  severe,  it  will  be  better  also  to 
cover  over  the  stem,  to  the  depth  of  five  or  six  inches 
above  the  top  of  it.  The  young  plant  being  thus  well 
protected  from  the  severity  of  the  winter,  may  remain 
in  this  state  till  the  first  of  March. 

Second  year.  March  1st.  Remove  the  covering 
and  fork  up  the  surface  of  the  ground,  to  the  depth 
of  two  or  three  inches,  that  the  sun  and  air  may 
freely  penetrate  it. 

April  1st.  Keep  the  soil  round  the  roots  free  from 
weeds,  and  the  surface  of  it  loose,  either  by  raking  or 
forking  it  up  as  often  as  necessary. 

May  1st.  Now  remember,  that  only  a  single  shoot 
is  permanently  to  be  trained  throughout  the  summer, 
the  object  of  leaving  two  buds  in  the  previous 
autumn,  being  to  provide  against  the  loss  of  a  shoot 
in  case  of  any  accident.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  the 
strongest  has  grown  sufliciently  to  be  out  of  danger 
of  being  accidentally  rubbed  ofi*,  the  other  is  to  be 
cut  out  as  hereafter  directed.  If  any  other  roots  have 
pushed,  besides  the  two  principal  ones,  rub  them  all 
off.  As  soon  as  the  shoots  have  grown  about  a  foot 
in  length,  nail  them  to  the  wall.  Do  this  very  care- 
fully, for  they  are  as  yet  extremely  tender.  When 
they  have  grown  about  six  inches  from  the  last  nail- 
ing, they  must  again  be  nailed,  and  continually  kept 
so,  never  suffering  the  tops  of  the  shoot  to  be  blown 


MANAGEMENT.  93 

about  by  the  wind.  As  the  tendrils  and  lateral  shoots 
successively  appear  throughout  the  summer,  pinch  off 
the  former  when  they  have  grown  about  three  or  four 
inches  in  length,  and  the  latter  to  an  inch  beyond  the 
first  eye. 

June  1st.  Throughout  this  month  and  the  two 
following  ones,  whenever  the  ground  appears  parched 
through  the  heat  of  the  weather,  give  the  roots,  once 
a  day,  about  half  a  gallon  of  soap-suds  or  dung-water. 
Keep  the  ground  free  from  weeds,  and  the  surface 
loose  and  open,  by  raking  or  forking  it  up  once  a  week 
throughout  the  summer. 

July  1st.  The  young  shoots  being  firmly  united 
to  the  preceding  year's  wood,  and  therefore  past  all 
danger  of  being  broken  off  by  any  accident,  unnail 
the  weaker  shoot  of  the  two,  and  cut  it  out  close  to 
the  stem,  making  the  surface  of  the  wound  quite 
smooth  and  even.  The  remaining  shoot  must  be 
kept  nailed  to  the  w^all  as  before  directed. 

Nov.  1st.  Cut  the  vine  down  to  the  two  lower- 
most buds,  and  in  the  winter,  if  the  weather  be  frosty, 
cover  the  ground  over  in  the  same  manner  as  in  the 
preceding  winter. 

Third  year.  March  1st.  Remove  the  winter  cov- 
ering, and  fork  up  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  let 
the  subsequent  management  throughout  the  season 
be  precisely  the  same  as  in  the  preceding  summer. 
If  any  fruit  be  shown,  pinch  it  off  immediately  it 
appears. 

Nov.  1st.  The  stem  of  the  vine  will  now  be  more 
than  two  inches  in  girt,  and  therefore  tico  leading 
shoots  are  to  be  permanently  retained  in  the  next 
year.  For  this  purpose,  cut  the  vine  down  now  to 
the  three  lowermost  buds,  thus  reserving,  as  before, 
one  to  spare  in  case  of  accident.  The  vine  will  then 
resemble  fig.  5.  The  roots  being  now  sufficiently 
strong  to  withstand  the  severity  of  the  weather,  will 
not  in  future  require  to  be  covered. 


5*4  FIRST    FIVE    years'    MANAGEMENT. 

Ficr.   5. 


\ 


Fourth  year.  March  1st.  Clean  the  surface  of 
the  ground,  and  fork  it  up  Hghtly,  and  let  the  subse- 
quent management  throughout  the  season  be  the  same 
as  before,  unless  directed  otherwise. 

May  1st.  As  soon  as  the  shoots  have  attained  a 
sufficient  length,  nail  them  carefully  to  the  wall,  and 
rub  off  all  others,  if  any  should  have  pushed.  If 
fruit  be  shown,  pinch  it  off  as  in  the  preceding  year. 

Jidy  1st.  Unnail  and  cut  out  the  weakest  of  the 
three  shoots,  and  train  the  two  remaining  ones  care- 
fully during  the  remainder  of  the  season. 

September  1st.     Pinch  off  the  tops  of  the  shoots. 

November  1st.  As  the  girt  of  the  stem  will  not 
be  less  now  than  three  inches,  the  vine  may  be  per- 
mitted to  mature  fruit  the  next  year,  not  exceeding 
five  pounds'  weight.  For  this  purpose,  cut  down  the 
two  shoots  to  the  seven  loicermost  buds  each,  prune 
away  the  remaining  portions  of  the  tendrils  and  dead 
wood  close  to  the  shoots,  and  cut  out,  carefully,  all 
the  lateral  shoots  close  to  the  bases  of  the  buds, 
whence  they  have  sprung.  If  the  outer  bark  of  the 
stem  be  decayed,  peel  it  off  clean,  and  then  nail  the 
shoots  to  the  wall  in  a  temporary  manner. 

Fifth  year.  February  1st.  As  soon  after  this  time 
as  the  weather  is  open,  cut  out  of  each  shoot,  the 
jirst^  second,  fourth^  fifth  and  sixth  buds;  then  bend 
the  two  shoots  carefully  down,  and  secure  them  in  a 
horizontal  position,  similar  to  that  represented  by  the 
shoots  Z,  Z,  fig  6. 


zk 


FIRST    FIVE    years'    MANAGEMENT.  95 

Ficr.    6. 


March  1st.  Clean  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and 
fork  it  up  as  in  the  preceding  year. 

May  1st.  Train  the  shoots  that  push  from  the 
shoots  3,  and  7,  in  the  manner  represented  by  the 
dotted  hues  1,  2,  3,  4.  and  if  more  fruit  shows  than  is 
equivalent  to  the  weight  before-mentioned,  the  excess 
must  be  cut  off  when  the  berries  are  set,  as  directed 
in  the  Calendarial  Register,  July  15th.  Continue  the 
same  course  of  management  as  in  the  preceding  year, 
and  wlien  the  roots  require  watering,  they  are  now 
sufficiently  strong  to  have  applied  to  them  for  that 
purpose,  any  description  of  hquid  manure  that  can  be 
most  conveniently  obtained. 

September  1st.  Pinch  off  the  tops  of  the  shoots, 
and  the  sap  will  then  accumulate  in  the  buds. 

October  1st.  As  soon  after  this  time  as  the  fruit  is 
gathered,  cut  back  the  first  and  third  shoots,  to  as 
many  buds  as  may  be  deemed  necessary  to  produce 
the  quantity  of  fruit  which  the  vine  can  mature  in 
the  next  year  ;  and  the  second  and  fourth  shoots  to 
the  lowermost  bud  each.  Cut  out  the  lateral  shoots 
and  the  stumps  of  the  tendrils,  as  directed  in  the 
preceding  year,  and  peel  or  scrape  off  all  loose  and 
decayed  bark  ;  then  nail  the  shoots  temporarily  to  the 
wall  to  protect  them  throughout  the  winter. 

Sixth  year.  March  1st.  Train  the  t\Vo  shoots 
in  the  manner  represented   by  S,  S,  fig.  7,  and  those 


9a 


FIRST    FIVE    YEARS     MANAGEMENT. 
Fiff.  7. 


H 


I 


1 


that  push  from  the  spurs  H,  H,  train  also  in  a  similar 
form.  Clean  the  surface  of  the  ground,  and  fork  it 
up  as  in  the  preceding  year.  The  Calendarial  Reg- 
ister will  now  supply  the  details  of  the  future  man- 
agement. 

The  vine  has  now  assumed  the  form  which  it  is 
permanently  to  retain,  and  the  manner  in  which  it  is 
trained,  may  be  considered  as  the  commencement  of 
a  system  of  alternately  fruiting  two  shoots,  and  train- 
ing two  at  full  length  for  bearing-wood  in  the  follow- 
ing year;  which  method  may  be  continued  every 
year  without  any  alteration,  until  the  capacity  of  the 
vine  is  equal  to  the  maturation  of  more  fruit,  than 
can  possibly  be  borne  by  two  single  shoots ;  which, 
on  an  average,  may  be  estimated  at  sixty  pounds' 
weight  annually.  Several  years  must  elapse  before 
this  will  be  the  case,  but  when  it  is,  the  arms  may  be 
easily  lengthened  by  the  training  in  of  a  shoot  at 
their  extremities,  and  managing  it  in  the  same  manner 


MANAGEMENT.  97 

as  when  the  arms  of  the  vine  were  first  formed.  It 
is  very  advisable,  however,  that  the  vine  should  not 
be  suffered  to  extend  itself  further  on  the  wall,  for  in 
such  case  the 'bearing-shoots,  emitted  from  the  centre, 
are  sure  to  decline  in  strength;  whereas,  by  confining 
the  dimensions  of  the  vine  to  a  single  arm  on  each 
side  of  the  stem,  and  each  arm  to  the  support  and 
nourishment  of  two  branches  only,  the  very  best 
description  of  bearing-shoots  Avill  never  fail  to  be 
generated  close  at  home ;  and  these,  as  the  vine  ad- 
vances in  age,  will  become  prolific  almost  beyond 
conception.  I  have  often  ripened  as  many  as  seven 
full-sized  bunches  of  grapes  on  two  shoots  which 
have  pushed  from  a  single  bud,  on  vines  managed  in 
this  manner.  Indeed,  those  who  have  been  accus- 
tomed to  permit  their  vines  to  cover  a  large  space  of 
Availing,  and  to  possess  a  great  number  of  branches, 
can  scarcely  imagine,  how  much  easier  a  vine  is  man- 
aged, and  with  what  certainty  the  fruit  is  increased  in 
quantity,  and  improA^ed  in  quality,  when  it  is  kept 
within  a  small  compass  on  the  surface  of  the  wall. 

Moreover,  there  cannot  be  the  slightest  reason 
given,  why  vines  should  be  encouraged  to  spread  over 
the  extent  of  surface  which  they  usually  do,  their 
propagation  being  so  easy,  that  a  Avall,  however  long 
or  high,  may  be  entirely  covered  with  fruit  and  bear- 
ing-wood in  the  space  of  six  or  seven  years,  provided 
the  vines  are  planted  sufficiently  near  to  each  other. 
The  roots  of  vines  do  not  prejudice  each  other  by 
running  together,  but,  on  the  contrary,  rather  serve  to 
prevent  any  redundancy  of  moisture  in  the  soil,  by 
more  fully  occupying  it,  and  to  cause  the  shoots  to 
be  less  luxuriant  in  their  growth,  than  if  they  enjoyed 
a  more  extensive  range  for  food;  and  this,  without 
doubt,  increases  their  fertility. 

I  have  planted  vines  within  eighteen  inches  of  each 
other,  for  the  purpose  of  speedily  filling  a  wall ;  and 
they  thrive,  and  produce  as  fine  grapes,  as  if  planted 
as  many  yards  apart.  The  distance,  therefore,  at 
which  vines  may  be  planted  from  each  other,  need 
9 


MANAGEMENT. 

have  but  little  reference  to  the  space  which  their 
roots  will  occupy  in  the  border,  but  rather  to  the 
surface  of  the  wall,  on  which  the  branches  are  to  be 
trained.  A  vine  trained  as  represented  by  fig.  7,  will 
stretch  its  two  arms  about  five  feet  in  length,  and  if 
ten  feet  in  height  be  set  apart  for  the  shoots  to  be 
trained  on,  the  whole  surface  required  will  be  fifty 
square  feet.  Now,  the  annual  increase  in  the  girt  of 
the  stem  of  a  vine  planted  in  good  ground,  will  be 
found  on  an  average,  after  it  comes  to  be  fruited  regu- 
larly, to  be  about  half  an  inch ;  which  gives  an 
increase  in  its  powers  of  maturation  eqnal  to  five 
pounds'  weight  of  fruit;  and  if  sixty  pounds  be  esti- 
mated as  the  greatest  quantity  which  can  annually  be 
obtained  from  a  vine  confined  within  this  space,  it  will 
appear,  that  if  a  cutting  be  planted,  it  will  be  fifteen 
or  sixteen  years  before  it  can  be  expected  to  arrive  at 
such  a  degree  of  strength,  as  to  be  able  to  mature  that 
quantity  of  fruit.  This  space  of  time  is  so  great, 
that  it  seems  highly  desirable  to  shorten  it.  Aud  this 
is  easily  done  by  allowing  to  each  vine  when  first 
planted  no  more  than  half  this  portion  of  the  surface 
of  the  wall,  namely,  twenty-five  square  feet  for  the 
training  of  the  branches  ;  and  when  it  has  attained 
such  a  degree  of  strength  that  its  shoots  cannot  be 
kept  within  the  limits  of  that  space,  let  every  alter- 
nate vine  be  cut  out.  If  the  wall,  therefore,  be  ten 
feet  high,  plant  the  vines  two  feet  and  a  half  apart, 
and  appropriate  to  each  vine  the  five  lower  feet  of  the 
surface,  and  the  five  upper  in  alternate  succession. 
To  form  the  stems  of  those  destined  for  the  upper 
portion  of  the  wall,  instead  of  cutting  down  the  vine 
in  the  autumn  of  the  third  year  of  its  growth  to  the 
three  lowermost  buds,  cut  out  all  the  buds  on  the 
shoot,  to  the  height  of  five  feet  from  tlie  ground,  and 
select  the  three  next  buds,  to  obtain  the  two  shoots 
for  the  arms.  And  if  the  wall  be  seven  or  eight  feet 
high,  plant  the  vines  about  three  feet  and  a  half  apart, 
and  train  every  alternate  one  similar  to  fig.  7,  and  the 
others  in  a  horizontal  manner,  resembhng  fig.  4.     If 


WEEKLY    CALENDARIAL    REGISTER.  99 

the  summer  shoots,  during  their  growth,  interfere 
with  each  other,  the  remedy  is  easy.  From  the 
flexibihty  of  the  shoots  of  the  vine,  they  can  be 
trained  in  any  manner  that  convenience  may  dictate ; 
and  the  more  they  are  bent  and  curved  about,  the 
more  fruitful  do  they  become.  It  is  this  property, 
indeed,  that  enables  the  skilful  cultivator  to  cover  the 
face  of  a  wall  with  fidl  crops  of  grapes,  in  a  much 
shorter  space  of  time,  and  with  a  far  greater  degree  of 
certainty,  than  can  be  done  in  respect  to  any  other 
description  of  fruit. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


WEEKLY    CALENDARIAL    REGISTER. 

This  comprehends  the  practical  details  of  the  man- 
agement* of  a  vine,  from  the  bursting  of  the  bud,  to 
the  fall  of  the  leaf. 

April  1st.  This  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  pe- 
riods of  the  year  to  observe  the  vine.  The  plant 
having  been  apparently  in  a  state  of  rest  for  several 
months,  now  begins  to  awake  from  its  slumber,  and 
the  buds  will  be  seen  swelling  with  eagerness  to 
escape  from  their  winter  habitation.  Examine  them 
all  carefully,  to  see  if  any  are  impeded  in  their  growth, 
in  consequence  of  the  shoots  having  been  nailed  too 

*  The  operations  directed  in  the  following  Register,  to  be  performed  on 
or  about  the  respective  days  named,  are  applicable  to  a  medium  aspect,  a 
season  moderately  favorable  to  the  culture  of  the  vine,  and  to  latitude  5U|° 
north.  In  a  very  favorable  aspect,  or  season,  therefore,  or  in  a  latitude 
farther  south,  the  different  stages  in  the  growth  of  the  shoots,  tfec,  of  a 
vine,  as  indicated  in  the  Register,  will  occur  a  little  earlier ;  while,  on  the 
contrary,  if  the  aspect  or  season  be  unfavorable,  or  the  latitude  be  much 
farther  north,  they  will  be  found  to  take  place  a  few  days  later.  It  may  be 
remarked,  also,  that  the  directions  for  management  are  intended  to  be  of 
general  application,  and  not  to  refer  exclusively  to  a  vine  pruned  or  trained 
in  any  particular  manner. 


100  WEEKLY    CALENDARIAL    REGISTER. 

closely  to  the  wall  or  otherwise.  All  such  buds  must 
be  immediately  relieved,  by  cutting  the  shreds  which 
confine  them,  or  by  putting  small  bits  of  wood,  or 
other  convenient  things,  betwixt  the  shoots  and  the 
wall,  and  thereby  making  a  space  for  the  buds  to 
swell  in.  In  dry  weather,  fork  up  the  border  to  the 
depth  of  a  couple  of  inches,  that  it  may  be  loose  and 
open,  to  receive  the  full  benefit  of  the  sun  and  air. 

8th.  The  buds  will  now  be  sufficiently  unfolded, 
to  show  the  extremities  of  the  first  bunches  of  fruit, 
peeping  out  betwixt  the  beautiful  crimson  edges  of 
the  embryo  leaves.  Look  carefully  again  over  all  the 
buds,  and  if  any  be  confined,  and  have  not  sufficient 
room  to  push  their  shoots  freely,  give  them  relief  im- 
mediately. 

15th.  Some  of  the  buds  will  now  be  unfolded  two 
or  three  inches  in  length,  and  the  leaves,  as  they 
increase  in  size,  will  part  with  their  variegated  tints, 
and  gradually  assume  their  permanent  colors.  The 
small  buds,  which  frequently  accompany  the  principal 
ones,  should  now  be  rubbed  oflf. 

22d.  Such  shoots  as  have  grown  four  or  five 
inches  in  length,  will  show  all  the  bunches  of  fruit 
which  they  will  bear  in  the  current  season.  Con- 
tinue to  examine  the  young  shoots,  to  see  if  any  of 
them  are  crippled,  or  obstructed  in  their  growth,  and 
if  so,  give  the  necessary  relief 

29th.  If  any  small  or  secondary  bud  sstill  remain, 
rub  them  off  immediately,  as  they  will  now  impede 
the  growth  of  the  young  shoots.  If  weeds  begin  to 
appear  in  the  border,  hoe  them  up,  or  pull  them  with 
the  hand,  and  rake  the  surface  smooth  and  clean. 

May  6th.  The  shoots  will  now  grow  rapidly,  and 
the  bunches  of  fruit  unfold  in  quick  succession.  Con- 
tinue to  look  over  the  former,  and  to  remove  anything 
that  may  obstruct  their  growth. 

13th.  The  shoots  will  now  be  of  sufficient  length 
to  be  nailed  to  the  wall.  With  respect  to  this  opera- 
tion, the  rule  to  be  observed,  is,  never  to  suffer  any 
shoot  to  grow  more  than  twelve  inches  without  nail- 


WEEKLY    CALENDARIAL    REGISTER.  101 

ing  it,  to  protect  it  from  the  injurious  effects  of  the 
wind,  and  to  give  it  the  benefit  of  the  warmth  of  the 
wall  by  close  contact.  This  operation  must  be  per- 
formed very  carefully  throughout  this  month,  as  the 
young  shoots  are  extremely  tender  and  brittle.  There 
will  be  many  shoots  emitted  from  different  parts  of 
the  vine,  that  will  neither  show  fruit,  nor  be  of  a 
sufficient  size  to  be  retained  for  future  bearers.  All 
such  must  be  now  rubbed  off,  unless  foliage  be  re- 
quired to  cover  any  adjacent  bunches  of  fruit,  in 
which  case  pinch  the  tops  off  at  the  second  or  third 
joint,  and  they  will  not  then  require  to  be  nailed.  In 
managing  the  vine  throughout  the  season,  be  careful 
to  observe  this  general  rule ;  that  every  operation  in 
which  the  shoots,  leaves,  or  fruit  are  concerned,  must 
be  performed  when  the  weather  is  dry,  and  after  the 
dew  is  dissipated  in  the  morning,  and  before  it  begins 
to  fall  in  the  evening. 

20th.  Nail  the  shoots  that  show  fruit,  and  that  are 
intended  to  be  cut  out  at  the  next  autumnal  pruning, 
sufficiently  near  to  each  other,  to  cause  their  leaves, 
when  they  attain  their  fall  size,  to  form  a  continued 
unbroken  surface,  which  will  be  hereafter  of  the  great- 
est service  in  protecting  and  maturing  the  fruit.  But 
such  shoots  as  are  intended  to  be  trained  for  future 
bearers,  must  have  as  much  of  the  clear  surface  of 
the  wall  to  themselves  as  possible,  never  less,  indeed, 
than  five  inches  on  each  side  of  every  shoot. 

The  whole  crop  of  grapes  will  have  been  shown 
previously  to  this  time.  During  the  last  three  or  four 
weeks,  the  leafing  of  the  vine,  and  the  unfolding  of 
the  bunches  of  fruit  in  rapid  succession,  will  have 
presented  a  sight  of  the  most  pleasing  and  gratifying 
nature.  If  the  cultivator  has  not  during  the  preced- 
ing year  imposed  on  the  vine  the  task  of  ripening  a 
greater  quantity  of  fruit  than  its  strength  would  per- 
mit, without  encroaching  too  much  on  its  vital  ener- 
gies ;  and  has  subsequently  used  the  pruning  knife  in 
a  skilful  manner,  he  will  now  be  rewarded  with  the 
prospect  of  not  only  an  abundant,  but  most  probably 
9* 


102        '  WEEKLY   CALENDARIAL   REGISTER. 

an  overflowing  crop.  Many  shoots  will  show  three 
bunches  of  fruit,  and  here  and  there,  on  some,  will  be 
found  even  four. 

27th.  The  shoots  will  now  push  so  rapidly,  as  to 
require  almost  daily  inspection.  Nail  the  future 
bearers  firmly,  and  if  any  of  them  be  disposed  to 
grow  long-jointed,  bend  them  a  little  out  of  their 
former  direction,  every  time  they  are  nailed;  this  will 
soon  check  their  growth,  and  ensure  the  develop- 
ment of  full  sized  fruit-buds.  Some  of  the  strongest 
shoots  will,  perhaps,  grow  in  an  adverse  direction  to 
the  surface  of  the  wall ;  if  so,  these  must  be  man- 
aged at  the  outset,  with  more  than  ordinary  care. 
For  the  purpose  of  inducing  them  to  grow  close  to 
the  wall,  provide  a  sufficient  number  of  shreds  from 
twelve  to  eighteen  inches  in  length,  or  longer,  if  re- 
quired ;  and  as  soon  as  any  shoot  which  has  thus 
pushed,  has  attained  the  length  of  fifteen,  or  not  more 
than  eighteen  inches,  put  a  shred,  sufficiently  long, 
carefully  round  that  part  of  it  that  is  nine  or  ten 
inches  from  the  old  wood,  out  of  which  it  has  grown, 
and,  drawing  it  out  of  its  natural  position  about  an 
inch  towards  tlie  wall,  nail  it  firmly.  In  the  course 
of  two  or  three  days  the  shoot  will  have  taken  a 
direction  towards  the  wall,  it  may  then  have  another 
shred  put  round  it  much  shorter  than  the  first,  and 
somewhat  nearer  the  extremity  of  the  shoot.  Ilepeat 
this  operation  two  or  three  days  afterwards,  if  re- 
quired, and  the  shoot  will  then  grow  close  to  the  sur- 
face of  the  wall. 

The  tendrils  that  push  from  the  footstalks  of  the 
bunches  of  fruit  must  now  be  pinched  oft'. 

The  lateral  or  side  shoots  also,  which  are  now 
pushing  vigorously,  must  be  pinched  oft'  about  an  inch 
beyond  the  first  joint,  as  soon  as  they  are  about  four 
inches  in  length,  but  such  as  are  near  any  bunches  of 
fruit  should  not  be  thus  topped,  till  they  are  about  six 
inches  in  length,  as  their  foliage  will  then  be  of  greater 
use  in  protecting  the  fruit.  It  must  be  observed,  that 
the  lateral  shoots  are  not  on  any  account  to  be  pulled 


WEEKLY   CALENDARIAL    REGISTER.  103 

oflf,  as  they  are  intimately  connected  with  the  organi- 
zation of  the  buds ;  being  evidently  intended  to  carry 
off  the  superabundant  sap  generated  at  the  joints  of 
the  shoots,  and  to  return  to  them  an  increased  portion 
of  elaborated  juice. 

June  3d.  The  tendrils  will  now  grow  rapidly,  and 
must,  therefore,  be  attended  to  without  delay.  As 
soon  as  they  are  about  six  inches  long,  pinch  them  off 
to  within  about  half  an  inch  of  the  shoots.  If  neg- 
lected, they  will,  in  a  short  time,  entwine  themselves 
round  the  adjacent  shoots,  and  cripple  them. 

Keep  the  surface  of  the  border  open,  and  free  from 
weeds,  as  before  directed. 

Now,  as  the  comparative  size  and  vigor  of  the 
young  shoots  will  be  distinctly  seen,  select  for  future 
bearers  the  largest  and  most  vigorous  shoots,  and  such 
as  are  round,  and  short-jointed,  and  that  are  appropri- 
ately situated  nearest  to  the  stem  of  the  vine.  Nail  all 
such  very  firmly  to  the  wall,  and,  as  before  directed, 
suffer  no  other  shoot  of  any  description  to  be  trained 
within  five  inches  of  any  one  of  these.  On  the  care- 
ful observance  of  this  point  of  culture  depends  the  cer- 
tainty of  the  next  year's  crop. 

This  is  the  earliest  period  that  any  part  of  the  old 
wood  of  the  vine  can  be  cut  out  without  the  risk  of 
bleeding.  If,  therefore,  too  much  of  the  preceding 
year's  wood  has  been  inadvertently  nailed  in,  or  if 
any  other  cause  exist,  that  may  render  it  necessary  to 
Cake  off  any  of  the  principal  limbs  of  the  vine,  they 
may  now  be  cut  out  with  safety. 

10th.  As  the  shoots  will  now  be  pushing  with  the 
utmost  vigor,  all  such  as  have  fruit  on  ihem,  and  that 
are  not  intended  to  be  retained  for  future  bearers, 
must  be  pinched  off  about  an  inch  beyond  the  first 
joint  above  the  last  bunch  of  fruit.  The  object  in 
view  in  doing  this,  is  to  prevent,  as  much  as  possible, 
any  unnecessary  expenditure  of  sap,  and  also,  to  cause 
it  to  flow  with  greater  force  into  the  fruit,  and  the 
future  bearing-shoots.  This  operation  being  per- 
formed, all  nailing  will  now  cease,    except  that  re- 


104  WEEKLY    CALENDARIAL    REGISTER, 

quired  for  the  future  bearers.  If  any  useless  shoots 
are  to  be  found  in  any  part  of  the  vine,  rub  them  off 
immediately. 

17th.  The  vegetation  of  the  vine  being  now  in 
its  highest  vigor,  daily  inspection  will  be  necessary. 
The  future  bearing-shoots  being  in  general  upwards 
of  three  feet  in  length,  and  having  full-sized  leaves, 
the  wind  has  a  proportionate  power  over  them,  and 
unless  kept  firmly  nailed  to  the  wall,  they  will  be  in 
great  danger  of  being  blown  down  and  broken  off,  if  a 
high  wind  should  arise.  To  prevent  this,  nail  them 
hereafter  every  nine  inches  of  growth,  with  strong 
linen  or  cotton  shreds,  doubling  the  edges  over,  and 
driving  the  nails  with  considerable  force  through  the 
four  thicknesses.  Take  care,  also,  to  drive  the  nails 
on  each  side  of  every  shoot  in  alternate  succession,  so 
that  no  two  following  nails  shall  be  on  the  same  side 
of  any  shoot. 

24th.  The  fruit  will  now  be  in  blossom,  and  con- 
tinue so  in  succession,  till  the  latter  part  of  the  next 
month.  During  this  period,  great  care  must  be  taken 
not  to  touch  the  bunches,  lest  this  beautiful  process  of 
vegetable  life  be  thereby  marred,  and  rendered  abor- 
tive. Keep  the  border  free  from  weeds,  and  the  sur- 
face loose  and  open ;  and  look  over  the  vine  daily,  as 
it  will  now  be  pushing  in  every  direction  with  the 
greatest  vigor. 

The  tendrils,  also,  will  grow  with  surprising  rapid- 
ity, and  quickly  curl  round,  and  injure  the  neiglibor- 
ing  foliage,  unless  constantly  looked  after,  and  pinched 
off.  as  before  directed. 

July  1st.  The  fruit  being  now  in  full  blossom,  will 
yield  a  most  delightful  fragrance.  Take  care  that 
the  bunches  be  not  handled,  nor  in  any  way  disturbed, 
till  the  berries  are  set. 

The  lateral  shoots  which  were  topped  some  time 
since  will  now  be  sending  forth  fresh  slioots  from  their 
terminal  buds.  Pinch  oft'  all  these  succession  shoots 
just   above  their  first  joints,  as  before;    and  if  any 


WEEKLY    CALENDARIAL    REGISTER.  105 

should  hereafter  break  again,  pinch  them  back  in  hke 
manner  throughout  the  season. 

Pay  great  attention  to  the  future  bearhig-shoots, 
and  nail  them  firmly,  as  directed  June  17th. 

8th.  Continue  daily  inspection,  as  the  A^ne  will 
still  grow  most  vigorously,  and  if  neglected,  useless 
shoots,  laterals  and  tendrils,  will  speedily  appear  in 
all  parts  of  it.  The  bunches  first  in  blossom  will  now 
begin  to  have  their  berries  set. 

i5th.  Keep  the  border  clear  of  weeds,  by  hoeing  or 
forking  up  the  surface,  which  will  admit  the  sun's 
rays  to  pass  through  it,  and  thereby  warm  and  cher- 
ish the  surface  roots. 

The  blossoming  being  now  nearly  over,  the  berries 
will  be  setting  in  rapid  succession.  As  soon,  there- 
fore, as  they  have  all  grown  to  the  size  of  very  small 
peas,  an  estimate  must  be  made  as  near  as  possible  of 
the  weight  which  the  whole  crop  would  ultimately 
attain  if  suffered  to  remain  and  ripen  ;  and  the  excess, 
if  any,  above  the  quantity  which  the  vine  can  mature, 
agreeably  to  the  scale  given  in  page  34,  must  be  cut 
off.  This  is  a  most  important  operation,  and  one  that 
cannot  be  delayed  without  materially  compromising 
the  health  of  the  vine.  In  some  instances,  the  excess 
perhaps  will  be  but  trifling,  while  in  others,  it  will 
probably  be  very  great.  I  have  frequently  had  young 
vines  produce  from  eighty  to  a  hundred  full-sized 
bunches  of  grapes  each,  Avhich,  if  matured,  would 
have  weighed  at  least  sixty  pounds ;  while  their  in- 
dividual strength  was  not  equal  to  the  ripening  of 
more  than  a  fourth  part  of  that  quantity.  In  such 
cases,  three  bunches  out  of  every  four  have  been  cut 
off".  In  reducing  the  number  of  bunches,  get  rid  of 
the  smallest,  and  the  ragged  and  uneven  ones,  if  any, 
and  also  all  such  as  hang  too  far  distant  from  the 
wall,  to  have  the  full  benefit  of  the  warmth  and  re- 
flection of  it ;  and  select  to  remain  those  which  are 
largest  in  size  and  berry,  taking  care  that  they  be  dis- 
tributed over  the  vine,  as  equally  as  possible. 

Many  sorts  of  grapes  frequently   produce  on  the 


106  WEEKLY    CALENDAPJAL    REGISTER. 

footstalks  of  the  bunches  of  fruit  a  small  supplemen- 
tary bunch,  consisting  of  a  few  grapes  at  the  end  of 
a  long  slender  stalk,  constituting  a  sort  of  bastard 
"shoulder."  When  such  an  appendage  to  a  bunch  is 
protruded,  it  should  be  cut  off,  as  the  berries  on  it 
seldom  come  to  perfection,  while  they  unproiitably 
consume  a  portion  of  the  nourishment  destined  for  the 
bunch  itself. 

22d.  Now  that  the  bunches  have  been  reduced 
to  their  proper  number,  examine  the  vine,  and  see  if 
there  be  any  vacancies  in  the  foliage,  through  which 
any  of  the  bunches  are  exposed  to  the  direct  rays  of 
the  sun  ;  and  if  so,  unnail  the  adjacent  shoots,  and  re- 
nail  them  in  such  positions,  as  will  effectually  shade 
the  fruit.  If,  however,  this  cannot  conveniently  be 
done,  put  a  long  narrow  shred  round  the  footstalks  of 
such  bunches  as  are  thus  exposed,  and  drawing  them 
gently  aside,  nail  them  in  a  position,  in  which  the  ad- 
jacent leaves  will  shade  them.  In  doing  this,  take 
care  not  to  twist  or  injure  the  footstalks,  nor  draw  them 
too  far  out  of  their  natural  direction,  which  would  de- 
range their  functions;  as  through  these  very  slender, 
but  beautifully  constituted  organs,  must  flow  the 
chief  part  of  the  nourishment  required  to  bring  the 
fruit  to  perfection.  Observe  also,  that  in  no  instance 
should  there  be  more  than  the  thickness  of  one  leaf  to 
shade  the  fruit.  The  solar  rays  being  thus  transmit- 
ted through  the  medium  of  the  leaves,  are  divested  of 
their  scorching  elfect,  and  are  also  modified  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  operate  most  beneficially  on  the  swelling 
of  the  berries.  Grapes  that  are  exposed  to  the  direct 
operation  of  the  sun's  rays,  scarcely  ever  attain  their 
proper  size  or  flavor;  while,  on  the  contrary,  the 
finest  and  most  highly  flavored  fruit  will  uniformly 
be  found  to  hang  in  close  contact  with  the  wall,  and 
to  be  moderately  shaded  by  the  leaves.  The  leaves, 
also,  not  only  serve  as  a  chastened  medium  for  the 
solar  rays  to  pass  through,  but  they  prevent,  in  a  con- 
siderable degree,  the  heat  from  escaping  from  the 
wall,  and,  as  a  necessary  consequence,  make  the  tern- 


WEEKLY    CALENDARIAL    REGISTER.  107 

perature  of  the  air  in  which  the  fruit  grows,  Avarmer 
than  that  of  the  atmosphere.  They  also  protect  the 
fruit  from  the  effects  of  hail,  and  from  continual  and 
heavy  rains ;  which,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  season, 
when  it  is  ripe,  are  advantages  that  cannot  be  too 
highly  appreciated.  It  may  therefore  be  considered 
as  an  important,  and,  indeed,  an  indispensable  point 
of  culture,  that  all  the  fruit  of  a  vine  ought,  from  the 
moment  of  its  coming  into  blossom  till  it  be  ripened 
and  gathered,  to  be  shaded  by  a  surface  of  continuous 
single  leaves,  so  that  no  part  of  it  can  be  seen  by  an 
observer,  without  pulling  them  aside.  It  is  true,  that 
the  shape  of  the  leaves  prevents  any  species  of  train- 
ing, so  disposing  them,  as  to  present  one  continued 
single-leaf  surface ;  but  though  this  point  of  perfection 
cannot  be  attained,  yet  the  nearer  you  approach  to  it, 
the  better  the  culture  will  be. 

29th.  Pay  great  attention  to  the  future  bearing- 
shoots,  which  will  now  be  of  considerable  length,  and 
if  not  nailed  firmly  to  the  wall,  will  be  in  danger  of 
being  blown  down,  if  a  strong  wind  should  arise.  If 
any  of  them  be  disposed  to  grow  long-jointed,  curve 
them  in  the  training,  which,  by  compressing  the  sap 
vessels,  will  immediately  cause  the  sap  to  accumulate, 
and  produce  short-jointed  wood. 

Keep  laterals,  tendrils,  and  useless  shoots  of  every 
description,  in  constant  check. 

The  grapes  will  now  be  as  large  as  small  peas,  they 
must,  therefore,  be  thinned  on  the  bunches  without 
loss  of  time.  For  this  purpose  provide  a  pair  of 
sharp-pointed  scissors,  that  will  cut  well  at  the  points ; 
and  at  this  first  thinning,  commence  with  the  biuiches 
that  are  the  most  forward  in  growth,  and  reduce  the 
number  of  berries  full  one  half,  cutting  out  all  the 
smallest,  and  such  as  are  too  close  together,  so  that 
they  may  be  equally  distributed  on  the  bunches. 
And  in  thinning  such  sorts  as  set  thickly,  or  that 
cluster,  care  must  be  taken  to  reduce  the  number  of 
berries  in  the  vicinity  of  the  stalks  to  such  an  extent, 
as  to  admit  a  free  passage  for  the  circulation  of  tlie 


108  WEEKLY    CALENDARIAL    REGISTER. 

air  directly  through  the  bunches,  and  for  the  admis- 
sion of  the  solar  heat  to  all  the  innermost  berries. 
This  will  be  found  necessary  to  ensure  an  equal  de- 
gree of  maturity  and  flavor  to  all  the  berries  of  a 
bunch. 

This  thinning  of  the  berries  is  one  of  the  most  ne- 
cessary, and  most  beneficial  operations,  in  the  whole 
culture  of  the  vine.  No  grapes  can  be  produced  fit 
for  the  table  Avithout  it.  It  increases  the  size  of  the 
berries,  improves  their  flavor,  hastens  the  period  of 
their  ripenmg,  by  preventing  their  clustering,  enables 
a  vine  to  mature  a  much  greater  weight  of  fruit,  and 
counteracts,  in  a  considerable  degree,  those  exhaust- 
ing effects  which  the  perfecting  of  it  would  otherwise 
produce  on  the  vital  energies  of  the  plant.  It  is  a 
species  of  pruning,  indeed,  and  may  not  improperly 
be  called  pruning  of  the  fruit,  in  contradistinction  to 
the  pruning  of  the  wood.  To  form  a  proper  estimate 
of  the  advantages  of  thinning  the  berries,  it  must  be 
remembered,  that  during  the  spring  of  the  year,  and 
until  the  fruit  has  blossomed,  and  is  fairly  set,  the  vine 
has  been  emitting  its  shoots,  principally  by  the  aid  of 
sap  generated  in  it  during  the  preceding  year.  In 
doing  this,  its  vital  energies  have  not  been  taxed  in  the 
slightest  degree ;  for,  if  it  had  emitted  a  hundred  shoots, 
and  every  shoot  were  a  hundred  feet  long,  the  vine 
Avould  not  only  not  be  weakened  by  them,  but  such 
shoots  would  form  a  certain  index  to  its  increased 
strength  and  vigor,  created  by  a  corresponding  exten- 
sion of  its  roots.  But  far  different  is  the  case  with 
respect  to  the  production  of  the  fruit,  the  perfecting 
of  which,  from  the  exhaustion  it  occasions  to  the 
vegetative  powers  of  the  plant,  may  be  properly  de- 
signated as  a  task.  Other  fruit  trees  are  endowed 
with  the  faculty  of  throwing  off',  to  a  considerable  ex- 
tent, any  excess  of  fruit  which  they  may  show  at  the 
commencement  of  the  season,  before  its  size  is  such 
as  to  draw  on  their  vital  energies,  but  no  such  faculty 
is  possessed  by  the  vine.  The  absence  of  this,  there- 
fore, must  be  remedied  by  the  cultivator,  on  whose 


WEEKLY    CALENDARIAL    REGISTER.  109 

knowledge  of  the  extent  of  the  powers  of  maturation 
possessed  by  the  vine  depends  entirely  the  quality  of 
the  crop  when  perfected.  Now,  the  primary  object  of 
every  cultivator  must  undoubtedly  be,  to  obtain  every 
year  in  succession  the  most  valuable  crop  possible ; 
and  the  qualities  that  confer  value  on  a  crop  of  grapes, 
are,  first,  high  flavor ;  secondly,  large  berries  ;  third- 
ly, large  h^ inches  ;  and  in  proportion  to  the  degree  in 
which  these  three  grand  requisites  are  combined,  will 
the  crop  become  really  valuable.  And,  that  neither 
high  flavor,  nor  large-sized  berries,  can  be  produced 
without  reducing  the  number  of  them  on  the  bunches, 
will  appear  evident  for  the  following  reasons; — the 
fruit  is  perfected  chiefly  through  the  influence  of  the 
atmosphere,  as  the  secret  fluid  attracted  by  it  from 
the  wood  is  comparatively  crude  in  its  nature  when  it 
enters  the  berries:  being  then  distributed  through  the 
almost  innumerable  vessels,  which  are  most  appropri- 
ately, and,  indeed,  most  beautifully  arranged  just 
within  the  skins  of  the  berries,  it  there  becomes  grad- 
ually elaborated,  by  the  processes  of  evaporation  and 
absorption,  which  are  incessantly  carried  on  through 
the  combined  agency  of  light  and  air,  stimulated  by 
the  direct  rays  of  the  sun.  And  in  proportion  to  the 
energy  with  which  these  processes  are  conducted,  will 
the  berries  increase  in  size  and  flavor.  To  generate 
an  energetic  action  of  these  processes,  therefore,  it  is 
necessary  that  the  entire  convex  surface  of  every 
berry  should  be  exposed  to  the  unimpeded  influence  of 
the  grand  agents  above-mentioned;  and  this  cannot  be 
eflectcd  without  reducing  the  number  of  berries  on 
each  bunch  by  the  aid  of  the  scissors,  to  such  an  ex- 
tent that  they  shall  not  touch  each  other  until  fully 
ripened.  Further,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind,  that  the 
strength  of  the  vine  is  not  put  in  requisition  in  creat- 
ing the  pulp  of  the  berries,  but  in  perfecting  the  seed. 
The  former  is  the  substance  on  which  the  latter 
feeds ;  the  number  of  seeds^  therefore,  which  the  vine 
has  to  nourish,  constitutes  in  reality  the  true  measure 
of  its  task.  And  to  render  the  performance  of  this  task 
10 


110  WEEKLY    CALENDARIAL    REGISTER. 

as  easy  as  possible,  it  is  not  enough  that  the  bunches 
be  reduced  in  number,  so  as  to  bring  the  whole  crop 
within  a  given  weight,  but  it  is  also  equally  necessary 
that  the  number  of  berries  should  be  lessened;  by 
which  operation,  not  only  is  great  relief  given  to  the 
vital  powers  of  the  vine  during  the  maturation  of  the 
fruit,  but  the  value  of  the  crop  becomes  thereby 
doubled,  and  in  many  instances  quadrupled,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  extraordinary  increase  in  the  size  and 
flavor  of  the  berries. 

August  5th.  If  the  weather  be  hot  and  dry,  sup- 
ply tlie  border  with  liquid  manure.  To  prevent  this 
from  being,  to  any  extent,  lost  by  evaporation,  draw 
drills  about  eighteen  inches  or  two  feet  apart,  and  a 
couple  of  inches  deep;  and  along  these  pour  the  ma- 
nure, holding  the  spout  of  the  watering-pot,  with  the 
nose  taken  off,  close  to  the  bottom  of  them,  that  the 
liquid  may  not  wash  the  earth  into  a  cream-like  con- 
sistence, in  which  case  it  would  cake  together,  and 
intercept  the  rays  of  the  sun  in  passing  through  the 
surface  to  the  roots.  When  sufficient  has  been  pour- 
ed into  one  drill,  rake  the  earth  over  it,  and  proceed 
in  like  manner  till  the  whole  border  be  manured. 
This  operation,  which  should  be  done  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  day  as  soon  as  the  sun  has  ceased  shining 
on  the  border,  may,  if  the  state  of  the  weather  require 
it,  be  repeated  every  two  or  three  days,  from  the  time 
the  fruit  is  first  set  until  it  becomes  ripe,  and  it  will 
be  found  very  beneficial  in  promoting  the  swelling  of 
the  berries. 

12th.  As  the  berries  are  now  rapidly  increasing  in 
size,  the  thinning  of  them  must  be  attended  to  every 
seven  days,  and  if  oftener,  the  better.  This  is  ren- 
dered necessary,  in  consequence  of  the  unequal  man- 
ner in  which  they  sometimes  swell.  If  the  berries  on 
any  given  bunch  be  thinned,  so  that  the  remaining 
ones  are  all  equal  in  size,  it  will  generally  be  found, 
on  inspecting  it  five  or  six  days  afterwards,  that  many 
of  them  have  remained,  in  point  of  size,  stationary; 
while  others  have  grown  perhaps   twice  as  large  as 


WEEKLY    CALENDARIAL    REGISTER.  Ill 

when  previously  thinned.  In  consequence  of  this 
the  bunches  require  frequent  examination,  in  order 
that  all  such  berries  as  thus  appear,  by  their  inferior 
size,  to  have  been  deprived  of  their  portion  of  nour- 
ishment may,  as  speedily  as  possible,  be  cut  out. 
The  oftener  this  is  attended  to  the  more  rapidly  will 
the  remaining  berries  increase  in  size,  and  the  finer 
will  be  their  flavor  when  ripe.  To  lay  down  any 
rule,  as  to  the  number  of  berries  that  should  be  cut 
out  of  any  bunch  of  a  given  weight,  is  impracticable. 
I  have  many  times  found,  that  of  bunches  of  the 
Black  Hamburg  grape,  with  the  berries  well  set,  I 
have,  from  first  to  last,  cut  out  four  out  of  every  ^/;e; 
while,  on  other  bunches  of  the  same  sort  having  their 
berries  not  so  thickly  set,  the  diminution  has  been 
about  three  out  of  Jive^  and  sometimes  not  more  than 
tu'o  out  of  that  number.  The  best  general  rule  that 
can  be  given  is,  that  the  berries,  during  the  whole  pe- 
riod of  their  growth,  until  after  they  have  made  their 
last  swell,  must  never  be  sufiered  to  cluster,  or  to 
press  the  sides  of  each  other. 

19th.  Continue  to  nail  the  future  bearing-shoots 
firmly,  and  keep  in  constant  check  all  tendrils,  and 
lateral  and  succession  shoots,  throughout  the  remain- 
ing part  of  the  season.  The  growth  of  these  w^ill 
now  begin  to  decrease  in  vigor,  in  consequence  of  the 
fluids  in  the  vessels  of  the  plant  being  partially  di- 
verted in  their  course,  and  attracted  to  the  fruit. 

Keep  the  border  clear  of  weeds,  and  its  surface 
loose  and  open,  and  sufler  nothing  to  be  on  it,  or  near 
it,  that  can  in  the  slightest  degree  intercept  the  rays 
of  the  sun.     Solar  heat  is  now  the  grand  desideratum. 

If  the  atmosphere  be  dry  and  arid,  or  if  the  weather 
be  windy,  evaporation  Avill  proceed  at  a  prodigious 
rate,  and  unless  the  nights  be  still  and  serene,  and  the 
dews  very  copious,  the  balance  betwixt  absorption 
and  evaporation  will  be  destroyed.  '^I'o  supply  the 
waste,  therefore,  that  will  be  thus  occasioned  in  the 
juices  of  the  vine  during  this  critical  period,  let  the 
foliage  and  fruit  be  now  and  then  watered  after  sun- 


112  WEEKLY    CALENDARIAL    REGISTER. 

set,  and  also  the  border,  in  addition  to  the  appUcation 
of  hquid  manure  to  the  latter  as  before  directed.  The 
atmosphere  contiguous  to  the  vine  will  be  thereby 
rendered  humid,  and  thus  offer  a  supply  of  moisture 
which  the  foliage  and  fruit  will  quickly  and  most 
advantageously  absorb. 

The  whole  strength  of  the  vine  will  now  be  put  in 
requisition  by  the  daily  increasing  size  of  the  berries. 
Pay  great  attention,  therefore,  to  the  thinning  of 
them,  and  use  the  scissors  very  freely.  Remember, 
that  every  berry  cut  out,  leaves  its  share  of  nourish- 
ment to  be  divided  amongst  the  remaining  ones.  Leave 
none  but  the  largest  berries,  and  those  as  nearly  as 
you  can  at  equal  distances  from  each  other  on  the 
bunches,  bearing  in  mind,  that  two  of  the  character- 
istics of  a  fine  bunch  of  grapes,  are  large  berries  of 
equal  size. 

26th.  Now,  as  the  period  of  ripening  hastens  on, 
the  full  benefit  of  the  sun's  rays  will  be  of  the  great- 
est advantage.  Take  care,  therefore,  that  no  portion 
of  the  fruit  be  shaded  by  more  than  the  consistence  of 
a  single  leaf.  If  through  inattention  in  training  the 
shoots,  the  leaves  should  be  too  crowded  in  any  part, 
the  former  must  be  loosened  from  the  wall,  and  re- 
nailed  at  a  proper  distance  from  each  other,  as  the 
leaves  must  not  on  any  account  be  pulled  off.  Strip- 
ping ofT  the  leaves,  for  the  purpose  of  exposing  the 
fruit  to  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun,  under  the  mistaken 
notion  that  it  will  thereby  ripen  earlier,  is  a  practice 
that  cannot  be  too  strongly  condemned.  The  value 
of  the  leaves  in  protecting  the  fruit  has  already  been 
pointed  out;  it  is  only  necessary,  therefore,  further  to 
remark,  that,  as  the  greater  portion  of  the  secretions 
of  the  plant  is  prepared  in  the  leaves,  every  leaf  that" 
is  pulled  off,  not  only  greatly  injures  the  vegetation  of 
the  vine;  but  the  bud  at  the  base  of  the  footstalk  of 
the  loaf,  by  being  deprived  of  its  principle  source  of 
nourishment,  is  crippled  in  its  growth,  and  otherwise 
seriously  injured  in  its  vitality.  Moreover,  if  a  leaf 
that  is  growing  near  to,  and  on  the  same  shoot  as  a 


WEEKLY    CALENDARIAL    REGISTER.  113 

bnnch  of  frnit,  be  pulled  off,  the  ripening  of  the  latter 
will  not  only  be  tliereby  actiiall)^  retarded,  instead  of 
being  hastened,  but  the  berries  will,  in  consequence, 
never  attain  their  proper  size  or  flavor. 

Bloom  on  the  berries  will  begin  to  appear  about 
this  time,  in  consequence  of  which  the  bunches  must 
be  hereafter  handled  as  lightly  as  possible,  that  no 
more  of  it  may  be  rnbbed  off  than  can  well  be 
avoided. 

Continue  to  use  the  scissors  freely  in  thinning  the 
berries,  which  must  on  no  account  be  neglected,  as, 
in  a  few  days,  the  operation  will  be  of  no  use.  Do 
not  suppose,  that,  by  thus  continually  reducing  the 
number  of  the  berries,  the  weight  of  the  bunches  will 
be  lessened,  for  quite  the  reverse  will  be  the  case ;  if 
the  thinning  be  judiciously  performed,  every  bunch 
will  ultimately  weigh  more  than  it  otherwise  would 
do,  were  the  whole  of  the  berries  suffered  to  remain. 

The  grapes  are  now,  what  is  technically  called 
"stoning;"  that  is,  the  seeds  or  stones  enclosed  in 
the  berries,  being  in  the  last  stage  of  their  growth, 
are  in  the  act  of  being  perfected;  which  when  com- 
pleted is  immediately  followed  by  a  change  of  the  pulp 
from  a  state  of  acidity  to  one  of  a  sugary  sweetness. 
During  this  process  of  stoning,  which  lasts,  in  gen- 
eral, about  twenty-eight  days,  the  berries  appear  to  be 
at  a  stand  in  their  growth,  and  do  not  perceptibly  in- 
crease in  size. 

September  2d.  Now  pinch  off  the  extremity  of 
every  future  bearing -shoot,  about  an  inch  beyond  the 
last  joint,  and  nail  the  shoot  firmly  directly  below 
that  joint.  This  operation,  by  stopping  the  sap, 
causes  it  to  accumulate  in  the  buds,  and  thereby 
hastens  the  maturation  of  the  wood.  The  sooner, 
indeed,  the  future  bearers  are  thus  stopped  in  their 
growth,  the  better;  but  if  done  before  this  time,  there 
is  danger  that  the  buds  will  prematurely  inirst. 

As  the  berries  are  now  about   to  make  their  last 
swell,  the  thinning  of  them  must  be  completed.     Ex- 
amine the  bunches,  therefore,  very  carefully,  and  if 
10* 


11.4  WEEKLY    CALENDARTAL    REGISTER. 

you  meet  with  any  berries  about  which  a  doubt  may 
exist  as  to  whether  they  ought  to  be  cut  out  or  not, 
give  the  vine  in  all  such  cases  the  benefit  of  that 
doubt,  and  cut  them  out  accordingly.  Be  assured, 
that  by  so  doing  you  will  ultimately  gain  both  in 
weight  and  flavor. 

9th.  The  process  of  stoning  being  completed,  the 
grapes  will  now  begin  to  ripen.  This  will  be  first 
indicated  by  the  skins  of  the  berries  becoming  in  a 
slight  degree  transparent,  and  in  black  grapes,  also, 
by  a  beautiful  purple  tinge  appearing  on  those  that 
are  the  most  forward.  As  soon  as  this  change  takes 
place,  no  reduction  of  the  number  of  berries  on  a 
bunch  u^ill  increase  the  size  of  the  remainder. 

They  should  be  finally  thinned,  therefore,  before 
they  begin  to  swell  off,  after  which,  indeed,  the 
bunches  should  never  be  handled  at  all,  except  for 
the  purpose  of  cutting  out  such  berries  as  may  from 
time  to  time  be  injured  by  insects,  birds,  or  otherwise. 

16th.  As  the  grapes  will  now  be  getting  ripe  pretty 
generally,  all  watering  must  cease,  both  of  the  foliage 
and  the  border.  A  moist  atmosphere  is  the  most 
favorable  to  the  growth  of  the  berries,  from  the  pe- 
riod of  their  setting  to  that  of  making  their  last  swell, 
after  which,  neither  the  atmosphere  nor  the  soil  can 
be  well  too  dry. 

Large-sized  bunches,  or  such  as  weigh  not  much 
less  than  a  pound,  must  now  be  eased  in  their 
position  previously  to  their  becoming  fully  ripe. 
To  do  this,  unnail  each  shoot  on  which  a  bunch 
of  this  description  may  be  hanging,  to  the  extent 
of  about  a  foot  on  each  side  of  it.  Then,  betwixt 
the  shoot  and  the  wall,  and  near  to  the  footstalk  of 
the  bunch,  insert  a  piece  of  w^ood  cut  in  the  shape  of 
a  narrow  wedge  about  a  couple  of  inches  m  length, 
and  an  inch  and  a  half  in  depth  at  the  thick  end,  or 
deeper,  if  the  bunch  be  ve/y  large.  After  which  re- 
nail  the  shoot,  using  fresh  shreds,  as  much  longer 
than  the  former  ones,  as  may  be  required  to  give  full 
etfect  to  the  increased  distance  of  the  shoot  from  the 


WEEKLY    CALENDARTAL    REGISTER.  115 

wall.  This  precaution  is  very  necessary  to  be  taken 
with  respect  to  large  bunches  of  grapes,  in  order  that 
they  may  hang  as  perpendicularly  as  possible,  and 
be  thereby  prevented  from  resting  their  whole  weight 
against  the  wall,  which,  when  the  berries  are  fully 
ripe,  would  cause  many  of  them  to  be  bruised  and 
spoiled. 

The  change  which  the  pulp  of  the  fruit  undergoes, 
at  the  completion  of  the  ripening  process,  is  highly 
interesting.  It  is  marked  in  all  bunches  that  have 
been  properly  thinned,  by  an  extraordinary  increase 
in  the  size  of  the  berries,  in  a  short  space  of  time ; 
the  natural  consequence  of  the  sadden  expansion  of 
the  pulp,  arising  partly  from  the  seed  being  perfected, 
and  therefore  no  longer  consuming  any  portion  of  it 
for  its  nourishment;  and  partly  from  the  continued 
action  of  the  solar  rays  on  the  full-sized  berries.  I 
have  frequently  had  berries  of  the  Black  Hamburg 
sort,  swell  in  size  in  the  course  of  a  few  days,  from  a 
circumference  of  two  inches  to  one  of  three,  being  an 
increase  of  one  half 

23d.  As  the  nights  will  now  be  getting  longer 
than  the  days,  the  cold  will  increase;  in  consequence 
of  which,  the  border  must  not  be  forked  up  any  more 
daring  the  remainder  of  the  season.  Keep  the  sur- 
face of  it,  however,  free  from  weeds,  and  from  de- 
cayed leaves,  wliich  latter,  if  suffered  to  accumulate, 
will  not  only  intercept  the  rays  of  the  sun,  bat  also 
serve  as  a  harbor  for  the  snails,  and  these  vermin,  if 
not  prevented,  will  do  great  damage  to  the  frait,  es- 
pecially in  showery  weather. 

As  the  grapes  are  now  rapidly  approaching  to  ma- 
turity, they  will  present  a  sight  of  the  most  gratifying 
description.  The  beautiful  symmetry  of  the  berries, 
the  elegant  form  of  the  clusters,  and  the  graceful 
manner  in  which  they  are  suspended  from  the  branches, 
are  in  strict  unison  with  the  delicious  flavor  of  the 
fruit,  and  challenge  alike  our  grateful  admiration. 

30th.  Examine  the  bunches  frequently,  for  the 
purpose  of  cutting  out  injured  and  decayed  berries, 


116  WEEKLY    CALENDARIAL    REGISTER. 

which,  if  suffered  to  remain,  will  quickly  affect  all 
the  adjoining  ones. 

The  fruit  will  now,  most  probably,  be  attacked  by 
birds  and  insects ;  if  so,  means  must  be  used  to 
protect  it.  If  a  few  wide-mouthed  bottles  containing 
sugared  beer,  be  hung  up  in  different  parts  of  the  vine, 
great  numbers  of  wasps  and  flies  will  be  enticed  mto 
them  and  destroyed.  But  if  these  insects  be  very  nu- 
merous, this  will  only  prove  a  partial  protection.  The 
bunches  must  be  bagged,  or  the  entire  vine  covered 
with  bunting,  or  some  other  fabric  of  a  similar  de- 
scription, and  this  will,  at  the  same  time,  protect  the 
fruit  from  the  attacks  of  birds. 

If  the  former  mode  be  resorted  to,  the  best  sort  of 
bags  that  can  be  used  for  that  purpose,  are  those  made 
of  hair  cloth.  The  texture  of  these  being  open,  and 
their  fabric  stiff,  the  sides  of  them  stand  out  at  a  dis- 
tance from  the  berries,  and  thus  a  free  circulation  of 
air  is  permitted  round  the  surface  of  the  latter,  which 
has  the  effect  of  keeping  them  dry  and  in  good 
preservation.  If  hair  cloth  bags,  however,  cannot  be 
procured,  crape  bags  may  be  used  instead;  but  it 
must  be  observed,  that,  whatever  sort  may  be  used, 
they  must  be  taken  off  every  four  or  live  days,  in 
order  to  examine  the  bunches,  and  to  cut  out  decayed 
berries,  if  any  should  appear.  It  is  necessary,  there- 
fore, that  the  bags  should  be  made  large,  that  they 
may  be  taken  off  and  put  on  again  with  ease  and 
facility.  If  the  bunches  of  fruit,  however,  be  numer- 
ous, it  will  be  much  easier,  and  better,  indeed,  to  pro- 
tect the  vine  with  a  covering  of  bunting,  or  leno,  or 
of  some  other  fabric  that  is  thin,  and  also  open  in  its 
texture.  But,  as  the  exclusion  of  air  thus  occasioned, 
will  operate  injuriously  with  respect  to  the  keeping  of 
the  fruit,  if  the  covering  be  continually  kept  on,  it  will 
be  necessary  to  remove  it  every  night,  and  replace  it 
in  the  morning ;  or.  if  it  be  temporarily  nailed  to  the 
top  of  the  wall,  which  is  the  better  way,  it  can  be 
drawn  up,  and  let  down  again  as  circumstances  may 
require.     If  this  be  not  attended  to,  it   will  be  found 


WEEKLY    CALENDARIAL    REGISTER.  117 

that  the  covering,  by  exckiding  ihe  air,  will  cause  the 
fruit  to  lose  its  flavor,  and  to  decay. 

It  must  also  be  mentioned,  that  rats  and  mice  are 
very  fond  of  grapes,  and  that  when  they  attack  them 
they  destroy  a  great  quantity  in  a  short  space  of  time. 
The  visits  of  these  vermin,  though  made  generally  in 
the  dark,  may  soon  be  detected,  by  laying,  in  the 
evening,  a  linen  or  other  cloth  along  the  border  close 
to  the  wall,  and  directly  under  the  fruit,  and  if  it  he 
attacked  by  them  in  the  night,  their  dung,  dropped 
while  consuming  the  fruit,  will  invariably  he  found  on 
the  cloth  in  the  morning.  If  it  should  appear  that 
they  infest  the  fruit,  prompt  means  must  be  taken  to 
destroy  them,  for  they  travel  with  the  greatest  facility 
over  every  braneh  of  the  vine,  from  one  extremity  of 
it  to  the  other,  and  will,  most  assuredly,  if  not  pre- 
vented, speedily  devour  the  whole  crop.  Amongst 
the  means  which  may  be  resorted  to,  to  ensure  their 
destruction,  may  be  employed  with  advantage  the 
laying  of  poison  on  the  branches  contiguous  to  the 
fruit,  and  also  the  setting  of  traps  well  baited  with 
fresh  toasted  cheese,  and  seciu'ed  to  the  wall  close  to 
the  main  branches  of  the  vine,  along  which  it  is  sup- 
posed they  go,  to  commit  their  depredations. 

October  7th.  Continue  to  remove  decayed  leaves 
from  the  border,  and  suffer  nothing  to  accumulate  on 
it  that  can  either  shade  it,  or  harbor  the  snails.  If 
these  are  not  prevented,  they  will  soon  find  hiding 
places  in  the  vicinity  of  the  wall,  and  in  the  night, 
and  also  in  wet  weather,  will  crawl  up  the  surface  of 
it,  and  commit  great  havoc  amongst  the  fruit.  To 
prevent  this,  the  wall  should  be  carefully  looked  over 
every  three  or  four  days,  and  when  the  weather  is 
wet,  every  day  will  not  be  too  often.  A  full-grown 
shell-snail  will  destroy  a  large  bunch  of  grapes  in 
twenty-four  hours.  This  fact  will  show  the  necessity 
of  looking  sharply  after  these  vermin. 

Take  care  not  to  cut  any  of  the  fruit  until  it  be 
thoroughly  ripe.  This  is  so  often  done,  that  it  de- 
serves to  be  mentioned  as  one  of  the  many   capital 


118  WEEKLY    CALENDAPvIAL    REGISTER. 

errors  that  are  committed,  almost  universally,  in  the 
culture  of  the  vine.  There  is  a  certain  point  of  time, 
when  grapes  attain  their  highest  degree  of  maturity, 
but  that  is  not  when  they  first  appear  io  be  ripe,  but 
a  considerable  period  afterwards.  There  are  so  many 
circumstances,  however,  that  influence  the  ripening  of 
grapes,  on  open  walls,  that  it  is  impossible  to  lay 
down  any  rule  for  determining  the  precise  period, 
when  they  will  have  reached  their  extreme  point  of 
maturity.  The  season,  the  soil,  the  culture,  the  sort 
of  grape,  and,  lastly,  the  aspect,  modified  as  this  is  by 
a  variety  of  local  circumstances,  either  accelerate  or 
retard  the  maturity  of  the  fruit,  as  they  combine 
favorably  or  unfavorably.  It  is  seldom,  indeed,  that 
all  the  fruit  of  a  vine  becomes  ripe  at  the  same  period 
of  time.  And  it  is  worthy  of  remark,  also,  that  every 
bunch  of  grapes  ripens  progressively,  beginning  first 
at  what  is  called  "  the  shoulders,"  or  that  part  next 
to  the  footstalk,  and  proceeding  downwards  to  the 
extremity  of  the  bunch.  And  so  slowly  is  this  pro- 
cess carried  on  in  backward  seasons,  and  in  unfavora- 
ble aspects,  that  there  is  frequently  from  ten  to  fifteen 
days'  ditference  in  the  time  betwixt  the  ripening  of 
the  shoulders,  and  that  of  the  extremity  of  the  same 
bunch  of  fruit.  And  if  a  vine  be  overcropped  to  any 
extent,  its  vital  energies  will  be  exhausted  before  the 
process  of  maturation  is  completed,  in  which  case,  the 
extremities  of  the  bunches  never  ripen,  but  shrivel  and 
decay.  Without,  therefore,  venturing  to  giA^e  any 
very  specific  directions  with  respect  to  the  vintage^  it 
may  be  laid  down  as  a  good  general  rule,  applicable 
in  most  cases,  that  after  the  period  when  all  the  ber- 
ries of  a  bunch  of  grapes  have  first  become  apparently 
ripe,  the  bunch  ought  to  remain  on  the  vine  a  month 
longer,  in  order  that,  by  the  continued  action  of  the 
solar  rays,  the  watery  portion  of  tlie  pulp  may  be 
evaporated,  and  the  sugary  portion  thereby  relatively 
increased. 

It  is  of  great   importance,   also,  in  gathering  the 
fruit,  that  it  be  cut  in  dry  weather,  on   the  warmest 


WEEKLY    CALENDARIAL    REGISTER.  119 

days  that  can  be  selected,  and  not  till  after  the  morn- 
ing dew  has  been  entirely  dissipated.  The  juice  of 
the  grapes  is  materially  concerned  in  these  respects  ; 
for  if  the  weather  be  very  damp  and  foggy  for  two  or 
three  days  in  succession,  or  if  a  heavy  rain  continue 
for  twenty-four  hours,  or  longer,  the  water  in  the  ber- 
ries will  be  considerably  increased,  and  their  flavor 
and  sweetness  proportionately  diminished. 

Such  branches  of  the  vine  as  have  no  fruit  on  them, 
should  now,  without  loss  of  time,  be  subjected  to  the 
operation  of  the  pruning  knife. 

14th.  In  dry  weather  examine  the  bunches  fre- 
quently, and  carefully  cut  out  all  decayed  berries. 
Protect  the  fruit,  also,  as  fast  as  it  ripens,  from  the 
wasps,  flies,  &c. 

If  the  extremities  of  any  of  the  bunches  are  not  yet 
ripened,  cut  them  ofl'  immediately,  as  the  few  berries 
growing  on  them  will,  if  suftered  to  remain,  cost  the 
vine  a  greater  effort  to  mature  them,  than  three  or 
four  times  the  same  number  has,  that  are  situated 
near  the  footstalks. 

21st.  Keep  the  border  clear  of  weeds,  and  as  soon 
as  decayed  leaves  appear  on  it,  remove  them  imme- 
diately, and  continue  so  to  do  until  all  the  fruit  be  cut. 

The  beneficial  effects  of  shading  the  fruit  with  a 
continuous  surface  of  leaves,  will  now  be  distinctly 
seen.  Grapes  so  protected,  will  uniformly  be  found 
to  ripen  earlier,  to  be  larger  in  size,  and  better  fla- 
vored, and  to  be  covered  with  a  bloom  nearly  if  not 
quite  equal  to  that  on  grapes  ripened  under  glass. 
The  leaves«ivill  also  be  of  great  advantage  in  keep- 
ing the  friut  dry  and  warm,  and  in  protecting  it  from 
the  injurious  effects  of  heavy  rains,  which  is  of  great 
consequence  ;  for  if  the  fruit  be  kept  dry.  it  will  re- 
main on  the  vine  in  good  condition,  and  preserve  its 
flavor  for  a  long  time  yet  to  come.  But  if  it  be  ex- 
posed to  the  effects  of  every  rainy  day  and  night,  all 
the  previous  good  culture  will  be  lost,  and  nothing 
will  prevent  a  great  portion  of  it  from  perishing,  inde- 
pendently of  the  consideration,   that   the   remainder 


120  WEEKLY    CALENDARIAL    REGISTER. 

will  be  greatly  deteriorated  in  flavor  from  the  eflects 
of  the  wet. 

In  gatliering  the  fruit  as  it  becomes  ripe,  it  will  be 
best  to  choose  first  such  bunches  as  hang  within  two 
feet  of  the  ground,  the  berries  on  these  being  apt  to 
rot,  in  consequence  of  the  damp  exhalations  that  now 
begin  to  rise  from  it;  and  next,  all  such  as  are  on  the 
upper  part  of  the  wall  above  six  feet  from  the  ground, 
(if  the  wall  reach  that  height,)  these  being  exposed  to 
the  injurious  effects  of  the  wind;  thus  leaving  to  be 
gathered  last,  those  bunches  that  hang  from  two  to 
six  feet  from  the  bottom  of  the  wall.  If  the  wall 
have  a  projecting  coping,  the  fruit  on  it  will  keep 
much  longer  than  on  a  wall  that  is  destitute  of  such  a 
protection. 

28th.  The  leaves  will  now  begin  to  fall  pretty  fast, 
and  where  a  good  collection  of  vines  are  planted,  the 
great  variety  of  tints  and  shades  of  color  of  the  leaves, 
in  their  different  stages  of  decay,  will  present  a  pleas- 
ing object  to  the  eye,  and  offer  to  the  mind  an  inter- 
esting subject  of  contemplation.  The  fine  dark  pur- 
ple red  of  the  claret  grape  leaves,  contrast  charming- 
ly with  the  bright  yellow  shades  of  the  white  sweet- 
water,  and  the  rich  vermillion  tints  of  the  black  mus- 
cadine. 

November  4th.  As  long  as  any  bunches  of  fruit  re- 
main, they  must  be  examined  every  three  or  four 
days,  and  ail  decayed  berries  carefully  cut  out. 

The  wasps  and  flies  that  now  remain  will  be  too 
weak  to  injure  the  fruit.  If  covering  the  vine,  there- 
fore, or  bagging  the  bunches,  have  been^resorted  to, 
to  protect  the  fruit,  it  should  now  be  discontinued, 
and  netting  substituted  in  its  stead.  Nets  offer  but 
little  obstruction  to  the  free  circulation  of  the  air,  the 
benefit  of  which  will  now  be  more  than  ever  neces- 
sary to  keep  the  fruit  dry.  In  putting  the  netting  on, 
great  care  must  be  taken  that  the  extremities  of  it 
are  in  close  contact  with  the  wall,  and  the  body  of  it 
a  suflicient  distance  from  its  surface,  that  the  birds 
may  be  prevented  from  getting  inside,  or  picking  the 


WEEKLY    CALENDARIAL    REGISTER.  121 

berries  through  the  meshes.  To  effect  this  latter 
object,  procure  some  sticks  or  bits  of  lath,  about  a 
foot  in  length,  and  making  the  ends  smooth,  cut  a 
notch  or  two  at  one  end  of  each  of  them.  Put  the 
smooth  ends  against  the  wall,  and  the  notched  ones 
against  the  netting,  which  must  be  stretched  out  suffi- 
ciently far  from  the  wall,  to  admit  of  the  sticks  being 
perpendicular  to  the  surface  of  it.  Place  the  cords 
of  the  netting  in  the  notches,  and  the  sticks  will 
then  keep  their  position.  The  netting  will  thus  be  in 
a  strain,  and  at  a  sufficient  distance  from  the  fruit  to 
keep  it  out  of  the  reach  of  the  birds.  These  precau- 
tions will  be  found  necessary,  as  the  delicious  flavor 
of  the  grapes  now  makes  them  an  object  of  intense 
desire  to  a  numerous  class  of  birds  that  frequent  the 
garden. 

These  little  feathered  creatures  having  been  indus- 
triously engaged,  during  the  preceding  part  of  the 
year,  in  rendering  the  most  important  services  to 
man.  by  destroying  the  larvse  of  a  host  of  insects  that 
prove  destructive  to  vegetation,  now  come  to  enjoy 
their  share  of  the  bounties  of  Providence;  and  it 
would,  perhaps,  be  difficult  to  prove  that  their  claim 
is  not  as  well  founded  as  that  of  the  lords  of  the 
creation.  They  waste,  however,  and  spoil  so  much, 
in  comparison  with  what  they  really  eat,  that  no 
other  course  can  be  pursued  than  that  of  rejecting 
their  claim  altogether.  Amongst  these  claimants,  the 
blue  titmouse  (torn  tit),  Parus  ccendeus^  will,  in  gen- 
eral, be  found  to  be  the  most  persevering.  This 
elegant  little  bird  visits  the  grapes  about  the  middle 
of  October,  and  selects  the  ripest  for  examination.  If 
the  flavor  be  agreeable,  the  work  of  destruction  com- 
mences, but  if  not,  an  interval  of  a  week  or  ten  days 
elapses,  when  a  second  examination  takes  place,  and 
the  fruit  being  then  ripe,  the  banquet  begins,  by  his 
attacking  invariably  the  finest  grapes  on  the  vine,  and 
consuming  about  a  sixth  part  of  each  berry,  leaving 
the  other  five  sixths  to  rot  and  waste.  After  this,  he 
never  ceases  to  pay  his  daily  visits,  as  long  as  a  single 


122  WEEKLY    CALENDARIAL    REGISTER. 

bunch  remains,  and  the  sUghtest  chance  appears  of  a 
possibiUty  of  getUng  at  it. 

As  soon  as  any  shoots  are  divested  of  their  fruit, 
they  should  be  pruned  immediately. 

11th.  Fall  of  the  leaf.  This  interesting  event 
takes  place  in  general  about  this  time.  In  well  shel- 
tered situations,  some  vines  will  retain  their  foliage  to 
the  end  of  this  month,  but  in  aspects  that  are  exposed 
to  the  effects  of  the  wind,  the  leaves  are  generally 
shed  in  the  early  part  of  it. 

After  the  grapes  have  been  deprived  of  the  protec- 
tion of  the  leaves,  they  begin  to  lose  both  weight  and 
flavor ;  but  if  the  aspect  be  favorable,  and  the  wall 
have  a  projecting  coping,  they  may  be  preserved  in 
pretty  good  condition  a  fortnight  or  three  weeks 
longer,  after  which,  however,  no  reliance  can  be 
placed  on  the  continuance  of  their  flavor,  although,  in 
some  instances,  when  the  weather  is  very  favorable, 
and  great  care  is  used  in  keeping  the  grapes  dry,  and 
in  protecting  them  by  proper  coverings  from  the 
effects  of  severe  frosts,  they  may  be  kept  on  the  vine 
in  tolerable  preservation  till  the  beginning  of  Jan- 
uary. 

Many  methods  have  been  devised  to  preserve 
grapes  after  they  have  been  cut  from  the  vine,  but 
none  that  I  am  aware  of,  have  ever  proved  very  ef- 
fectual. The  best  of  these,  however,  will  be  found, 
I  believe,  to  be  that  of  cutting  off"  an  entire  branch  of 
the  vine  with  the  fruit  upon  it,  and  sealing  the  cut 
end  with  sealing-wax,  and  then  hanging  it  up  in  a 
dry  and  warm  room,  in  which  there  is  a  pretty  free 
circulation  of  air.  The  greater  quantity  of  wood  that 
the  branch  contains  behind  the  last  bunch  of  fruit,  the 
longer  will  the  latter  keep ;  but  it  may  be  remarked, 
that,  with  every  precaution  that  can  be  taken,  the  fruit 
may  in  general  be  preserved  much  better  by  letting  it 
remain  on  the  vine,  and  protecting  it  by  proper  means 
from  the  severity  of  the  weather. 


GENERAL    AUTUMNAL    PRUNING.  123 

CHAPTER  XIIT. 

GENERAL    AUTUMNAL    PRUNING. 

Many  reasons  of  a  decisive  nature  point  out  the 
autumn  as  the  proper  season  for  pruning  the  vine. 
When,  by  judicious  management,  the  branches  of  a 
vine  are  kept  within  a  small  compass,  its  vegetative 
powers  become  exceedingly  vigorous;  and  the  quan- 
tity of  superabundant  wood  that  is  necessary  to  be 
cut  out  at  the  close  of  every  season,  being,  in  gen- 
eral, very  great  in  proportion  to  that  which  is  retained, 
the  number  of  channels  for  the  future  ascent  of  the 
sap  becomes,  after  the  general  pruning,  proper tionably 
limited.  In  consequence  of  this,  the  sap  acquires,  at 
its  rising,  a  corresponding  increase  of  strength  and 
velocity ;  and  unless  the  vine  be  pruned  early  in  the 
autumn,  in  order  that  the  utmost  possible  period  of 
time  may  intervene,  to  harden  the  extremities  and 
such  other  parts  of  the  branches  as  the  pruning  knife 
has  passed  over,  previously  to  the  ascent  of  the  sap 
in  the  following  spring,  the  sap,  at  its  rising,  will 
burst  through  the  wounds,  and  the  vine^will  bleed 
profusely  at  all  points.  To  guard  against  the  occur- 
rence of  this  very  injurious  casualty,  there  is  no  other 
way  than  to  prune  at  the  earliest  period  possible  in 
the  autunm. 

The  sooner,  also,  that  the  vine  is  pruned  in  the  fall 
of  the  year,  the  earlier  will  its  buds  unfold  in  the 
ensuing  spring ;  the  cause  of  which  may  be  thus 
explained.  The  buds,  from  their  first  development, 
are  endowed  with  the  power  of  attracting  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  the  juices  of  the  plant,  to  nourish  them, 
and  to  promote  their  growth.  But  this  power,  al- 
though it  gradually  increases  with  their  growth,  is 
held  in  subjection  throughout  the  summer,  by  a  simi- 
lar, but  superior  power,  possessed  by  the  fruit,  which 
in  an  extraordinary  degree  diverts  the  fluids  of  the 


124  GENERAL    AUTUMNAL    PRUNING. 

plant,  and  appropriates  them  to  its  own  growth  and 
maturation.  As  soon,  however,  as  the  fruit  is  ripened, 
this  power  which  it  previously  possessed  becomes 
nearly  extinct,  and  the  fluids  of  the  plant  are  then 
chiefly  appropriated  to  the  nourishment  of  the  buds, 
and  to  the  growth  of  the  roots  and  branches.  Now, 
as  the  great  eftbrt  of  the  vine  in  ripening  its  fruii  is 
made  either  before  the  autumnal  equinox,  or  imme- 
diately after  it,  while  the  sap  is  yet  moving  pretty 
briskly ;  if  the  vine  be  pruned  shortly  after  that  pe- 
riod, the  sap  quickly  accumulates  in  the  shoots  that 
are  retained,  and  the  buds  attracting  it  very  power- 
fully, rapidly  advance  in  their  growth  and  maturation. 
They  thus  steal  a  march,  as  it  were,  on  their  next 
year's  vegetation.  But  if  the  •vine  be  pruned  too 
early^  before  the  motion  of  the  sap  is  suflficiently 
weakened,  by  the  declining  power  of  the  sun,  the 
buds  then  feed  themselves  to  repletion,  and  prema- 
turely burst.  Hence  it  follows,  that  the  most  advan- 
tageous period  for  the  general  pruning  of  the  vine 
must,  undoubtedly,  be  that  point  of  time  when  the 
sap  can  be  made  to  accumulate  in  the  buds  in  such 
quantity  as  to  increase  them  to  their  utmost  possible 
size,  without  bursting  them.  And  this  point  of  time 
cannot  with  safety  be  considered  as  having  arrived 
till  the  first  of  October.  A  single  branch  of  a  mod- 
erate-sized vine  may  be  cut  out  or  shortened  as  early 
as  the  middle  of  September,  but  the  whole  vine  can- 
not be  pruned,  and  its  entire  body  of  sap  thereby  sud- 
denly checked  in  its  motion,  before  the  expiration  of 
that  month,  without  incurring  very  great  risk  of 
bursting  the  buds,  independently,  also,  of  giving  to 
the  vital  powers  of  the  plant  an  injurious  shock,  by 
performing  such  a  severe  operation  prematurely.  As 
soon,  however,  as  the  month  of  October  commences, 
and  the  fruit  is  cut,  the  general  pruning  should  be 
done,  and  the  buds,  in  consequence,  increasing  in 
size  by  the  accumulation  of  the  sap.  become  thereby 
endowed  with  a  greater  degree  of  vitality  than  they 
would  otherwise  possess.     They  are  thus  enabled  to 


GENERAL    AUTUMNAL    PRUNING.  125 

attract  the  sap  at  its  rising  with  more  power,  and 
consequently  to  expand  themselves  earlier  than  the 
buds  of  a  vine  pruned  later  in  the  season ;  and  this  is 
an  advantage  not  to  be  estimated  lightly  in  a  country 
where  the  summers  are  barely  long  enough  to  ripen 
the  fruit. 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing  reasons,  others  will 
hereafter  incidentally  appear,  in  favor  of  early  au- 
tumnal pruning. 

In  giving  directions  for  the  general  pruning  of  the 
vine,  it  is  scarcely  possible  to  lay  down  any  rules  for 
the  guidance  of  the  pruner,  except  such  as  are  of 
general  application.  If  the  vine  has  been  attended  to 
throughout  the  summer  in  the  manner  directed  in  the 
Calendarial  Register,  there  will  be  comparatively 
little  to  do  at  the  autumnal  pruning.  As  vines,  how- 
ever, are  managed  in  a  great  variety  of  ways,  it  ap- 
pears necessary  to  give  such  directions  as  will  apply 
in  a  general  manner  to  any  vine,  whatever  may  have 
been  the  method  in  which  it  has  been  previously 
pruned  and  trained. 

Before  doing  this,  however,  a  few  observations  may 
be  made  relative  to  vines  that  have  been  suffered  to 
cover  a  disproportionate  extent  of  walling,  and  which 
have,  as  a  necessary  consequence,  a  great  number  of 
old,  naked,  and  barren  limbs.  Vines  of  this  descrip- 
tion, when  their  leaves  are  shed,  present  a  perfect 
chaos  of  useless  branches,  the  general  appearance  of 
which  bids  defiance  to  anything  like  systematic 
pruning.  To  give  any  directions,  therefore,  that  can 
be  practically  followed  in  the  pruning  of  such  vines, 
is  next  to  impossible;  the  only  course  that  can  be 
recommended  to  be  adopted,  with  respect  to  any  vine, 
that  is  in  this  state,  is  to  cut  it  down  to  a  complete 
stump.  By  doing  this  the  fruit  will  be  only  sacrificed 
for  one  season,  for  the  next  year  after  this  operation 
has  been  performed,  the  vine  will  send  forth  an  abun- 
dant quantity  of  the  finest  description  of  bearing- 
shoots,  which,  in  the  following  year,  will  produce  as 
much  fruit,  with  only  a  tenth  part  of  the  trouble  in 
11* 


126  GENERAL    AUTUMNAL    PRUNING. 

the  management  of  it,  as  could  be  obtained  if  the 
previous  course  of  culture  had  been  continued.  There 
is  no  other  way,  indeed,  of  renovating  a  vine  than 
this,  for  no  method  of  pruning  that  can  be  adopted 
will  ever  get  rid  of  the  old  blank  wood,  and  procure 
in  its  stead  a  proper  supply  of  bearing-wood  within  a 
reasonable  distance  of  the  stem.  Vines  that  are  cut 
down  in  this  manner  will  frequently  produce  in  the 
following  summer  very  fine  bearing-shoots  upwards 
of  forty  feet  long. 

When  it  is  deemed  advisable,  therefore,  to  renew 
the  branches  of  a  vine  by  thus  cutting  it  down,  the 
best  time  to  perform  the  operation  is  the  latter  part  of 
the  month  of  November.  If  the  stem  be  short,  cut 
it  off  about  five  inches  above  the  ground,  but  if  it  be 
long,  leave  it  of  such  a  height  as  it  is  intended  to 
train  the  future  bearing- wood  to;  remembering,  that 
whatever  portion  of  the  naked  stem  be  left,  the  shoots 
will  in  general  be  emitted  from  the  upper  part  oi  it. 
As  soon  as  the  vine  is  cut  off,  sear  the  wound  well 
with  a  hot  iron,  and  then  seal  the  surface  of  it  over 
with  sealing-wax,  in  order  to  prevent  the  sap  at  its 
rising  from  bursting  through. 

In  the  following  spring  a  great  number  of  buds 
will  push,  near  the  top  of  the  stump,  and  these  being 
allowed  to  swell  sufficiently  to  show  their  relative 
strength,  as  many  of  the  strongest  as  are  required 
should  be  selected  to  remain,  and  all  the  rest  rubbed 
off.  The  shoots  being  carefully  trained  throughout 
the  summer,  will  present  in  the  autumn  an  abundant 
choice  for  future  bearers. 


DIRECTIONS   FOR  THE   AUTUMNAL  PRUNING. 

1st.  Every  nail  must  be  drawn  from  the  wall, 
and  every  shred  taken  off  the  branches.  This  will 
give  the  vine  great  relief  the  shreds  having  through- 
out the   summer  kept   those   parts  of  the  branches 


GENERAL    AUTUMNAL    PRUNING.  127 

which  they  have  encircled  from  the  beneficial  influ- 
ence of  the  sun  and  air.  They  also  become  the  re- 
ceptacles of  numerous  insects,  and  if  woolen  shreds 
have  been  used,  they  are  very  retentive  of  moisture, 
and  if  suffered  to  remain,  would  chill  the  juices  of  the 
vine,  and  thereby  retard  the  vegetation  in  the  spring. 
In  unnailing  the  branches,  care  must  be  taken  not  to 
draw  all  the  nails  at  once,  as  the  former  wonld  then 
be  left  destitute  of  their  necessary  support.  Unnail  a 
part  at  a  time,  therefore,  and  having  pruned  that  part, 
renail  it  in  a  temporary  manner,  before  any  other 
part  of  the  vine  be  pruned,  and  so  proceed  till  the 
whole  be  pruned.  Observe,  that  CA^ery  nail  before  it 
is  drawn,  must  be  driven  farther  into  the  wall,  by  a 
good  blow  or  two  on  its  head  with  the  hammer,  in 
order  to  disengage  it  from  the  mortar ;  otherwise,  in 
drawing  it  out,  portions  of  the  mortar  which  adhere 
to  it  will  be  drawn  with  it,  and  the  joints  of  the  wall 
will  be  thereby  defaced  and  injured. 

2d.  Ascertain  the  girt  of  the  stem,  and  calculate 
the  quantity  of  fruit  which  the  vine  can  mature  in  the 
following  year,  agreeably  to  the  scale  given  in  page 
33,  and,  assuming  (for  the  sake  of  making  the  opera- 
tion clear)  that  the  strength  of  the  vine  is  equal  to 
the  maturation  of  fifty  pounds'  weight  of  fruit,  the 
number  of  buds  that  it  will  be  advisable  to  retain,  to 
produce  that  quantity,  will  be  from  ninety  to  a  hun- 
dred. Now,  before  selecting  the  shoots  that  are  to 
contain  this  number  of  buds,  means  must  be  taken  to 
provide  for  a  proper  supply  of  future  bearing-wood. 
For  this  purpose,  choose  some  of  the  strongest  current 
year's  shoots  that  are  situated  nearest  to  the  stem  of 
the  vine,  and  at  appropriate  distances  from  each  other, 
and  cut  each  of  these  down  to  the  two  lowermost 
buds.  The  number  of  shoots  to  be  thus  spurred, 
must  not  be  less  than  two,  nor  need  they  be  more 
than  six.  Having  thus  provided  for  the  supply  of  fu- 
ture bearing-wood,  proceed  in  the  next  place  to  select 
the  shoots  that  are  to  be  retained  as  fruit-bearers.  In 
doing  this,  remember  that  good  bearing-wood  is  al- 


128  GENERAL    AUTUMNAL    PRUNING. 

most  invariably  round  and  haj^d.,  of  a  good  size,  and 
short-jobited,  with  large  prominent  buds,  that  are  in 
general  rather  round  at  their  extremities.  Bearing 
these  qualities  in  mind,  choose  such  shoots  as  answer 
this  description,  and  that  are  situated  nearest  to  the 
stem,  but  sufficiently  distant  from  each  other  to  ad- 
mit of  their  fruiting  shoots  being  conveniently  train- 
ed in  the  next  summer,  without  being  crowded. 
Shorten  each  shoot  to  such  part  of  it  as  is  sound  and 
hard,  retaining  as  many  well-ripened  buds  as  possible. 
Let  the  shoots  be  situated  in  equal  numbers  on  each 
of  the  main  branches ;  for  instance,  if  the  vine  con- 
tain only  two  arms,  similar  to  figure  3,  (page  83,) 
and  four  bearing  shoots  be  retained,  let  two  be  situ- 
ated on  each  arm ;  also,  let  the  two  shoots  on  one  arm 
contain  the  same  number  of  buds,  or  nearly  so,  as  the 
two  on  the  other  arm.  Now  count  the  buds  on  each 
shoot,  omitting  the  two  bottom  ones,  and  set  apart 
the  required  number  on  the  fewest  shoots  possible. 
Having  done  this,  cut  all  the  other  parts  of  the  vine 
entirely  away,  retaining  only  those  on  which  are  situ- 
ated these  bearing-shoots  and  the  spurs  to  produce 
future  bearers;  the  main  object  in  view,  being  to  get 
rid  of  the  greatest  quantity  possible  of  old  ivood.  But 
if  any  of  the  shoots  that  are  to  be  thus  cut  away, 
should  be  favorably  situated  for  the  production  of 
bearing-shoots  at  some  future  period,  leave  on  all 
such  the  lowermost  bud ;  but  with  respect  to  all  the 
rest,  cut  them  out  close  to  their  respective  parent 
branches. 

3d.  Cut  out  from  the  bearing-shoots  that  are  re- 
tained all  their  lateral  shoots  close  to  the  bases  of  the 
buds,  and  also  the  remaining  portions  of  the  tendrils 
and  footstalks  of  the  bunches  of  fruit,  (if  any,)  as  well 
as  all  excrescences,  and  every  portion  of  dead  wood 
that  remains  in  the  vine.  Prune  them  all  smoothly, 
close  to  their  parent  branches,  in  a  clean  and  work- 
manlike manner,  leaving  behind  no  nnsightly  ragged 
edges  or  extremities  to  disfigure  the  vine. 

4th.     If  any  part  of  the  outer  bark  of  the  stem  or 


GENERAL    AUTUMNAL    PRUNING.  129 

branches  be  decayed,  which  will  be  easily  seen  by  its 
loose  and  ragged  appearance,  peel  or  scrape  off  all 
such  parts  with  a  blunt-edged  pocket-knife,  taking 
care  not  to  wound,  or  in  any  way  injure  the  live 
bark.  The  decayed  bark  having  lost  its  vitality,  and 
with  it  its  power  of  resisting  and  throwing  off  the  rain, 
becomes  so  highly  retentive  of  moisture,  as  to  be  al- 
most sopping  wet  throughout  the  winter  months,  es- 
pecially if  several  layers  of  it  have  been  suffered  to 
accumulate.  In  this  state,  if  permitted  to  remain,  it 
speedily  generates  moss,  and  becomes,  also,  the  recep- 
tacle of  innumerable  insects.  And  it  is  contrary  to 
every  known  principle  of  vegetable  life,  that  a  plant 
like  the  vine,  which  is  a  native  of  a  warm  climate, 
should  ever  flourish,  while  its  stem  and  branches  are 
thus  encircled  with  a  decayed  bandage,  covered  with 
moss  and  saturated  with  moisture,  which  constantly 
chills  its  juices,  and  thereby  paralyzes  the  beneficial 
effects  of  the  sun  and  air,  during  a  period  of  the  year 
when  they  are  of  the  last  importance  to  the  health  of 
the  plant.  The  annual  removal  of  the  decayed  bark, 
therefore,  may  be  regarded  as  a  point  of  culture,  that 
tends  very  greatly  to  promote  the  prosperous  vegeta- 
tion of  a  vine. 

5th.  The  barking  of  the  vine  being  finished,  the 
whole  operation  will  be  completed,  and  the  branches 
must  then  be  nailed  to  the  wall  in  a  temporary  man- 
ner. In  doing  this,  remember  that  the  wmd  has  very 
little  power  over  the  naked  wood,  and  that,  therefore, 
a  few  strong  shreds  nailed  firmly  over  the  branches  at 
proper  distances,  will  be  sufficient  to  protect  them. 
Let  the  bearing-shoots  be  nailed  on  those  parts  of  the 
wall,  where  they  will  receive  the  greatest  portion  of 
the  sun's  rays,  without  any  regard  to  the  situation 
which  they  will  subsequently  be  made  to  occupy  at 
the  winter  training.  The  vine,  thus  pruned,  barked, 
and  nailed,  will  be  in  readiness  to  receive  the  inffu- 
ence  of  the  season  at  the  earliest  period  possible,  and 
will,  throughout  the  winter,  present  a  beautiful  ap- 
pearance of  dormant  vegetation. 


130  WINTER    MANAGEMENT. 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

ON    THE    WINTER    MANAGEMENT    OF    THE    VINE. 

December  1st.  The  winter  being  the  proper  time- 
to  manure  the  border,  let  it  now  be  lightly  forked  up, 
and  a  good  coating  of  inanure  laid  over  it  about  six 
inches  deep,  which  will  answer  the  two-fold  purpose 
of  enriching  the  border,  and  protecting  the  roots  of 
the  vine.  It  has  been  already  stated,  that,  after  a 
vine  has  been  planted  a  few  years,  its  roots  will  make 
their  way  up  to  the  surface,  if  the  border  be  not  dis- 
turbed by  cropping  or  digging;  but  it  is  necessary  to 
observe,  that  when  they  are  so  situated,  their  tender 
fibres  will  inevitably  perish,  unless  protected  from 
severe  weather,  during  the  depth  of  the  winter.  To 
prevent  this,  therefore,  and  also  to  keep  the  roots  as 
warm  as  possible,  the  border  should  be  covered  over 
through  this  month  and  the  two  following  ones. 
For  this  purpose,  long  stable  manure  about  half  made 
is  the  most  suitable,  as,  from  its  spirituous  nature,  it 
will  keep  the  soil  warmer,  and  more  effectually  resist 
the  frost  and  other  unfavorable  atmospheric  changes, 
than  any  other  description  of  manure.  If  this,  how- 
ever, cannot  conveniently  be  procured,  the  next  best 
covering  is  that  of  dead  leaves,  which,  after  they  are 
decomposed,  form  a  vegetable  manure  of  the  most 
fertilizing  description.  But  if  these  cannot  be  ob- 
tained, any  of  the  manures  mentioned  as  fit  for  top 
dressing,  (page  -57,)  may  be  substituted.  It  must  be 
observed,  that,  as  the  roots  require  to  be  kept  as  dry 
as  possible  in  the  winter,  liquid  manure  should  be 
used  very  sparingly  during  that  period. 

The  roots  being  thus  protected,  nothing  more  is 
required  to  be  done,  till  the  month  of  March. 

March  1st.  If  the  season  be  forward,  the  vine  must 
now  be  permanently  trained,  but  if  otherwise,  that 
operation  may  be  performed  any  time  during  the  next 


WINTER    MANAGEMENT.  131 

fortnight.  Observe,  however,  that  as  soon  as  the 
buds  have  swelled  sufficiently  to  burst  the  extremities 
of  their  winter  covering,  the  vine  must  be  trained  im- 
mediately; for  if  delayed,  the  buds  will  be  liable  to 
be  rubbed  off  in  bending  the  shoots,  and  nailing  them 
in  their  proper  positions. 

This  is  the  proper  time,  also,  previously  to  the  vine 
being  permanently  trained  for  the  season,  to  white- 
wash the  wall,  agreeably  to  the  directions  given  in 
page  61. 

In  nailing  the  shoots  in  the  manner  directed  in  the 
chapter  on  Training,  use  fresh  shreds,  and  be  careful 
not  to  put  any  round  those  parts  of  the  vine,  that 
have  been  at  any  previous  time  covered  with  shreds. 
The  training  being  finished,  remove  the  covering 
from  the  border,  leaving  as  much  of  it  to  remain,  as 
may  be  advantageously  mixed  with  the  soil.  Fork 
up  the  border,  and  mix  the  manure  well  with  it ;  after 
which,  rake  the  surface  very  smooth  and  clean. 

March  21st.  As  soon  after  this  time  as  the  weather 
is  dry,  salt  the  border.  For  this  purpose  procure  a 
gallon  of  salt  for  every  square  rod,  and  scatter  it  in 
the  same  manner  as  if  it  were  seed,  distributing  it  as 
equally  as  possible  over  the  entire  border.  Then  rake 
the  surface  very  lightly,  in  order  that  the  salt  may  be 
mixed  with  the  soil.  The  application  of  salt  to  a 
vine  border  is  productive  of  the  most  beneficial  eflects. 
It  prevents  the  growth  of  weeds,  destroys  the  worms, 
keeps  the  surface  open  and  clean,  stimulates  the 
growth  of  the  vine,  and  ultimately  enters  largely 
into  its  constitution.  Any  substance,  indeed,  of  a 
saline  nature,  the  roots  of  vines  seize  upon  with  the 
greatest  avidity. 

If,  at  the  rising  of  the  sap,  the  vine  should  bleed  at 
any  of  the  wounds  made  by  pruning,  or  otheswise, 
put  a  piece  of  moistened  bladder  round  the  wounded 
part,  and  tie  it  closely  and  firmly  with  strong  thread 
well  waxed  with  beeswax. 


132  ON    THE    PLANTING    OF    VINES 


NOTE. 

[The  following  chapter  has  been  added  to  the  present  edition, 
for  the  purpose  of  promoting  the  culture  of  the  Vine  in  the  various 
towns,  which  are  situated  in  the  midland  and  southern  parts  of 
England,  the  inhabitants  of  which  are  not,  in  general,  aware,  that 
that  valuable  plant  may  be  planted,  trained,  and  fruited  against 
their  houses  and  buildings  with  nearly  as  much  facility  and  success 
as  in  more  favored  situations  in  the  country.  It  is  true,  that  sin- 
gle vines  may  already  be  found  growing  here  and  there  in  most 
of  the  towns  in  the  above-mentioned  districts,  not  excepting  the 
metropolis  itself;  but  the  method  in  which  they  are  cultivated,  is 
such,  as  not  only  to  render  them  very  unsightly  appendages  to  the 
buildings  against  which  they  are  trained,  but  to  reward  the  culti- 
vator with  only  a  small  portion  of  fruit,  at  the  disproportionate 
cost  of  a  vast  deal  of  time  and  trouble.  To  the  necessary  conse- 
quences of  such  a  mode  of  culture,  the  fact  may,  no  doubt,  be 
attributed,  that  the  number  of  vines  growing  in  those  situations  is, 
comparatively  speaking,  so  very  small ;  such  examples  being 
much  better  calculated  to  deter,  than  to  invite  imitation. 

Vines,  however,  cultivated  agreeably  to  the  directions  contained 
in  the  foregoing  pages,  produce,  annually,  large  quantities  of  fruit, 
within  a  small  extent  of  surface,  and  are,  moreover,  in  any  situa- 
tion, and  especially  in  a  public  one  in  a  town,  exceedingly  interest- 
ing objects  to  behold  in  every  season  of  the  year.  And  to  the 
lover  of  nature,  what  sight  can  surpass  that  of  a  vine,  covered 
with  its  beautiful  foliage,  and  laden  with  its  elegant  and  delicious 
fruit?  Even  to  those  who  reside  in  the  country,  and  are  fanniliar 
with  the  beauties  of  the  vegetable  world,  such  a  sight  scarcely 
ever  fails  to  impart  the  highest  gratification.  But  to  the  inhabitants 
of  a  town,  who  seldom  participate  in  any  species  of  horticultural 
enjoyment,  what  a  source  of  pleasure  would  it  not  be,  to  witness  a 
portion  of  the  surface  of  their  dw^ellings  covered  annually  with 
fine  crops  of  grapes?  And  who  can  contemplate,  throughout  the 
progress  of  every  returning  season,  the  beautiful  elaborations  of 
nature  in  the  successive  development  of  the  bud,  the  leaf,  the 
blossom,  and  the  fruit  of  the  vine,  without  emotions  of  the  purest 
gratification  ? 

Those,  and  those  only,  who  are  pent  up  within  the  precints  of 
a  town,  and  perpetually  harassed  with  the  cares  of  business,  the 
calls  of  which  seldom  permit  them  to  quit  the  busy  haunts  of  their 
fellow  men  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  beauties  of  nature,— such 
only,  know  how  cheering  to  the  feelings  is  the  contemplation  of 
the  growth  and  formation  of  even  the  most  trifling  production  of 
the  vegetable  kingdom.  To  all  such,  therefore,  the  culture  of  the 
vine  presents  a  means  of  enjoyment  of  the  most  gratifying  descrip- 
tion.    No  other  sort  of  fruit-tree  can  be  planted  with  the  slightest 


IN    PUBLIC    THOROUGHFARES. 


133 


prospect  of  success  in  the  paved  and  public  streets  of  a  town; 
but  the  vine  surmounts  all  obstacles,  and  thrives  in  almost  every 
situation,  where  the  hand  of  man  is  held  out  to  protect  it  from 
injury,  and  to  guide  it  in  its  growth  by  a  judicious  course  of  cul- 
ture. 

In  order,  therefore,  to  facilitate  the  more  general  introduction 
of  vines  into  towns,  and  to  enable  such  of  the  inhabitants  thereof 
as  possess  the  requisite  local  advantages  of  site  and  aspect,  to 
plant  and  cultivate  them  against  their  premises,  the  following  ad- 
ditional directions  are  given.  It  may,  however,  be  remarked, 
that  after  a  vine  has  become  well  established  in  its  growth,  the 
pruning,  training,  and  general  management  of  the  branches  and 
fruit  are  the  same,  whatever  may  be  the  situation  it  may  be  made 
to  occupy  ;  but  in  the  planting  of  vines  in  the  public  thorough- 
fares of  towns,  and  in  the  culture  of  them  during  the  first  two  or 
three  subsequent  years,  many  local  contingencies  that  are  inciden- 
tal to  such  exposed  situations  require  to  be  provided  for,  by  the 
variation  of  some  points  of  culture  from,  and  the  addition  of  others 
to  the  usual  routine  of  management ;  and  to  point  out  the  former 
and  supply  the  latter,  is  the  object  of  the  ensuing  chapter.] 


CHAPTER  XV. 

ON    THE     PLANTING    AND     MANAGEMENT     OF     VINES    IN    THE 
PUBLIC    THOROUGHFARES    OF    TOWNS. 


As  a  preliminary  remark,  it  may  be  mentioned,  that 
that  part  of  a  vine  whicli  intervenes  betwixt  the  roots 
and  the  branches,  may  be  considered  as  the  stem^  as 
a,  6,  tig.  8 ;  and  that  part  where  the  stem  ceases  and 


Fig.  8. 


■-'^ 


"^^ 


12 


134  ON    THE   PLANTING   OF   VINES 

the  branches  commence,  may  be  termed  the  fruiting 
point,  as  6,  fig.  8.  It  may  also  be  remarked,  that  it  is 
not  of  important  consequence,  to  what  distance  from 
the  ground  the  stem  of  a  vine  extends,  and  at  which 
the  fruiting  point  commences;  whether  it  be  one  foot, 
ten  feet,  or  twenty  feet.  It  is  better,  without  doubt, 
to  have  a  short  stem  rather  than  a  long  one,  because 
the  latter  annually  requires  for  its  support  a  greater 
quantity  of  the  elaborated  juice  of  the  plant  than  the 
former,  but  where  local  circumstances  prevent  a  vine 
from  being  trained  on  a  short  stem,  it  must,  of  neces- 
sity, be  trained  on  a  long  one. 

Vines  that  are  planted  against  any  description  of 
walls  that  bound  public  thoroughfares,  ought  always 
to  have  their  bearing  branches  trained  at  such  a 
height  from  the  ground,  as  shall  put  it  out  of  the 
power  of  mischievous  persons  to  injure  the  foliage,  or 
to  gather  the  fruit.  For  these  reasons,  a  vine  that  is 
to  be  planted  in  such  a  situation  must,  previously  to 
its  removal  thither,  have  the  full  height  of  its  stem 
already  formed.  It  is  necessary,  also,  that  the  latter, 
as  soon  as  the  vine  is  planted,  should  be  protected 
from  injury,  by  being,  up  to  a  sufficient  height,  en- 
closed within  a  permanent  covering.  A  vine,  there- 
fore, that  is  suitable  for  this  purpose,  must  have  a 
stem  that  measures  not  less  than  two  inches  in  cir- 
cumference when  removed,  w^hich,  if  growing  in  good 
ground,  will  be  the  size  of  one  about  three  years  old. 
In  the  ordinary  course  of  transplanting,  a  vine  of  such 
a  size  w^ould  be  too  large,  on  account  of  the  severe 
check  in  its  growth  which  the  removal  of  it  would 
occasion,  but  in  the  present  case,  it  is  indispensable, 
for  the  reasons  before-mentioned,  that  the  stem  should 
have  attained  that  size  before  the  vine  is  transplanted. 

To  procure  a  vine  with  a  stem  of  this  description 
already  formed,  a  strong  and  healthy  plant,  the  prin- 
cipal shoot  of  which  is  not  less  than  seven-eighths  of 
an  inch  in  circumference  at  the  bottom,  must  be 
selected  hi  the  nursery  one  entire  season  before  its 
removal.     It  should  be  growing  against  a  wall  sufli- 


IN   PUBLIC    THOROUGHFARES.  135 

ciently  high  to  admit  of  its  leading  shoot  being 
trained  as  many  feet  perpendicularly,  or  nearly  so,  in 
the  following  summer,  as  it  is  intended  to  fix  the 
fruiting  point  at  from  the  ground,  after  the  vine  shall 
have  been  transplanted.  If  a  young  vine  of  this  size, 
however,  cannot  conveniently  be  procured  growing 
against  a  wall,  one  planted  in  the  open  ground  must 
be  provided  in  its  stead,  in  which  case  a  strong  stake, 
of  the  requisite  height,  must  be  driven  firmly  into  the 
ground  near  to  it,  to  tie  the  leading  shoot  to  during 
its  growth  in  the  ensuing  summer. 

A  vine  of  this  description  having  been  selected,  cut 
it  down  at  the  proper  time  in  the  autumn  to  the  two 
lowermost  buds,  and  in  the  following  year  let  the 
training  and  general  management  of  it  be  the  same  as 
described  in  paragraphs  May  1st,  and  July  1st,  pages 
92,  93.  As  soon  as  the  leaves  are  shed  in  November, 
cut  the  vine  back  to  such  a  height,  as  it  is  intended 
that  the  fruiting  point  shall  be  fixed  at  from  the 
ground,  after  the  vine  shall  have  been  transplanted. 
Then,  to  form,  the  naked  stem,  cut  out,  very  cleanly 
and  smoothly,  every  bud  except  the  two  uppermost 
ones,  after  which  the  vine  will  be  in  a  proper  state  to 
be  removed,  and  the  sooner  that  is  done  the  better 
although  any  time  previously  to  the  middle  of  Feb- 
ruary will  do,  if  it  cannot  conveniently  be  trans- 
planted before. 

Proper  directions  for  transplanting  the  vine  will  be 
found  in  pages  49 — 50  and  90 — 92 ;  to  which  may  be 
added,  that  if  the  situation  in  which  the  vine  is 
planted  be  a  very  public  one,  and  such  as  to  admit  of 
the  possibility  of  any  nuisance  being  committed  on 
the  roots,  the  following  precautions  must  be  adopted. 
In  planting  the  vine,  fix  the  bottom  part  of  the  stem 
of  it  within  an  inch  and  a  half  of  the  wall,  and  in 
replacing  the  surface  covering,  let  it  extend  to  within 
the  same  distance  of  the  stem  on  each  side  of  it,  so 
as  to  leave  a  space  for  the  latter  to  grow  in,  of  about 
three  inches  in  breadth  each  way,  which  will  be  suffi- 
ciently large  for  the  stem  to  swell  freely  in  during  the 


136  ON    THE    PLANTING    OF    VINES 

first  ten  years,  after  which  that  space  can  be  enlarged 
as  circumstances  may  require.  This  being  done,  the 
covering,  that  is  hereafter  described  as  necessary  to 
be  placed  over  the  stem,  must  be  made  to  come  down 
at  the  bottom,  in  close  contact  with  the  surface  of  the 
pavement,  and  to  include  within  it  the  whole  of  the 
space  above-mentioned,  so  that  no  part  of  it  shall  be 
visible  on  the  outside.  Then,  round  the  bottom  of 
the  covering,  where  it  meets  the  pavement,  work  in  a 
little  mortar  or  cement  of  some  description,  so  as  to 
prevent  the  possibihty  of  any  fluid  of  a  destructive 
nature  being  introduced  to  the  stem  or  roots  of  the 
vine.  These  precautions,  with  respect  to  vines  plant- 
ed in  the  public  thoroughfares  of  towns,  will  be 
found  indispensable,  as  the  roots  of  them  would  other- 
wise be  constantly  liable  to  be  injured  by  careless  or 
mischievous  persons. 

As  soon  as  the  vine  is  transplanted,  (assuming  the 
site  to  be  an  open  one,  and  in  a  public  thoroughfare,) 
its  stem  must  be  protected  by  a  covering  being  put 
over  it  to  such  a  height  from  the  ground  as  will  en- 
sure its  preservation  from  injury.  Perhaps  the  best 
description  of  covering  for  this  purpose  will  be  one 
made  of  three  slips  of  wood  of  the  required  height, 
and  each  about  four  inches  in  breadth,  and  put  to- 
gether so  as  to  form  three  sides  of  a  square,  the  sur- 
face of  the  wall  to  be  enclosed  by  them,  forming  the 
fourth  side.  The  stem  of  the  vine  being  enclosed  in 
this  covering,  the  latter  must  be  secured  to  the  wall 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  admit  of  its  being  opened 
when  required,  for  the  purpose  of  divesting  the  stem 
of  its  decayed  bark,  which  operation  ought  to  be  per- 
formed at  the  autumn  of  every  third  year.  If  a  shoot 
at  any  time  grow  out  of  the  naked  stem,  it  must  be 
rubbed  off  immediately  it  appears.  As  soon  as  the 
stem  is  thus  enclosed,  it  should  be  nailed  firmly  to 
the  wall  just  above  the  top  of  the  covering,  but  no 
fastening  of  any  description  should  be  put  round  that 
part  of  the  stem  that  is  within  the  covering.  The 
vine  being  thus  protected,  will  not  require  any  further 
attention  during  the  winter. 


IN    PUBLIC    THOROUGHFARES.  137 

Throughout  the  next  summer,  it  must  be  managed 
in  precisely  the  same  manner  as  in  the  preceding 
summer  previously  to  its  removal,  and  at  the  fall  of 
the  leaf  the  current  year's  shoot  must  be  cut  back  to 
the  three  lowermost  buds,  for  the  purpose  of  having 
Uoo  leading  shoots  permanently  retained  in  the  follow- 
ing year. 

After  the  vine  has  thus  been  cut  down  to  the  three 
bottom  buds,  it  will  correspond  to  that  mentioned  in 
paragraph,  Nov.  1st,  page  93,  and  its  future  manage- 
ment, therefore,  must  be  agreeable  to  the  directions 
that  follow  those  given  under  that  date ;  the  culture, 
hereafter,  being  the  same  as  that  of  a  vine  trained 
against  a  garden-wall. 

It  must,  however,  be  observed,  that,  as  the  spare 
surface  on  which  a  vine  can  conveniently  be  trained, 
in  the  front  of  any  house  or  other  building  situated 
in  a  public  thoroughfare  of  a  town,  must  necessarily 
be  of  a  limited  height,  the  shoots  had  better  be  annu- 
ally trained  in  a  horizontal  position,  as  represented  by 
Fig.  4,  page  85.  Also,  if  a  vine  cannot  conveniently 
be  planted  otherwise  than  at  the  end  of  any  side  of  a 
building,  it  cannot,  of  course,  have  more  than  one 
horizontal  branch  from  which  the  bearing  shoots  are 
to  proceed. 

Only  one  other  contingency  remains  to  be  provided 
for,  and  that  is,  where  local  circimistances  render  it 
necessary  that  a  vine  should  be  trained  on  a  different 
side  of  a  building  to  that  on  which  it  is  planted.  In 
such  a  case,  there  is  a  sharp  corner  to  be  turned  in 
training,  and  although  this  is  not  a  difficult  matter  to 
accomplish,  yet,  to  ensure  success,  it  must  be  man- 
aged with  care,  and  in  a  proper  manner. 

The  flexibility  of  the  young  shoots  of  vines  is  well 
known,  but  there  is  only  one  period  in  the  growth  of 
a  shoot  during  which  it  can  be  made  to  bend  round 
the  rectangular  corner  of  a  building,  and  that  is,  in 
the  autumn  or  winter  immediately  following  the  sum- 
mer of  its  first  growth  and  formation.  For  instance, 
a  green  shoot  that  is  emitted  from  a  vine  in  the  spring 
12* 


138  ON    THE    PLANTING    OF    VINES 

of  the  present  year  1837,  will  be  fully  ripe  at  the  fall 
of  the  leaf  in  November;  the  time,  therefore,  that  in- 
tervenes betwixt  that  event  and  the  middle  of  March 
in  the  next  year,  1838,  is  the  only  period  in  the  exist- 
ence of  that  shoot  in  which  it  will  be  sufficiently  flex- 
ible for  the  purpose  above-mentioned.  Whenever  it 
becomes  necessary,  therefore,  to  train  the  fruiting 
branches  of  a  vine  on  a  different  side  of  a  building  to 
that  on  which  it  is  planted,  the  leading  or  connecting 
limb  must  be  trained  round  the  corner  (there  to  re- 
main permanently),  some  time  during  the  period  of 
its  growth  before-mentioned.  And  in  all  such  cases, 
this  operation  had  better  be  performed  in  the  autumn 
succeeding  the  first  summer's  growth  of  a  vine  after 
it  has  been  transplanted,  because  the  shoot  to  be  bent 
will  then  be  comparatively  small  and  weakly,  and 
consequently  much  more  flexible  than  the  shoot  of 
any  subsequent  year,  after  the  vine  has  recovered 
from  the  check  which  its  growth  has  experienced  by 
transplantation.  To  perform  this  operation,  then,  ob- 
serve the  following  directions. 

First,  procure  a  coarse  file  or  rasp,  and  having  fixed 
on  the  exact  part  of  the  corner  of  the  building  round 
which  the  shoot  is  to  be  trained,  file  a^mall  portion 
of  the  edge  away,  in  the  form  of  a  segment  of  a 
circle,  about  three  quarters  of  an  inch  deep,  rounding 
off"  the  edges  of  the  circular  part,  so  as  to  make  the 
surface  of  it,  over  which  the  shoot  is  to  be  trained, 
as  smooth  and  as  round  as  possible.  The  shoot  could 
be  bent  round  the  corner  without  a  portion  of  the 
latter  being  thus  filed  away,  but  it  can  be  done  a 
great  deal  easier  with  it. 

Secondly^  then  take  the  shoot  in  both  hands,  and, 
in  a  very  gradual  and  cautious  manner,  bend  it  a 
little  at  a  time,  until  it  is  made  to  assume  a  suflicient 
degree  of  curvature  to  answer  the  required  purpose. 
As  soon  as  tiiis  is  the  case,  cut  out,  very  smoothly,  all 
the  buds  that  are  on  the  shoot  betwixt  the  stem  of 
the  vine  and  the  corner  of  the  building;  after  which 
nail  that  part  of  the  shoot  firmly  to  the  wall.     Then, 


IN    PUBLIC    THOROUGHFARES.  139 

laying  the  shoot  in  the  groove  at  the  corner  prepared 
for  it,  bend  the  terminal  part  of  it  very  slowly  and 
carefully  towards  the  other  side  of  the  wall,  and 
when  you  have  got  the  second  bud  from  the  corner 
within  about  two  inches  of  the  surface  of  the  wall, 
put  a  strong  shred  round  the  shoot  just  behind  that 
bud,  and  nail  it  to  the  wall  in  that  position.  If  it 
were  brought  closer  to  the  wall,  it  would  be  in  dan- 
ger of  snapping  asunder.  Then  cut  the  shoot  back 
to  within  an  inch  of  the  second  bud,  leaving,  thereby, 
no  more  buds  than  the  two  already  named.  The 
shoots  that  will  proceed  from  these  buds  in  the  fol- 
lowing summer,  can  easily  be  trained,  close  to  the 
wall  in  the  desired  direction ;  and  at  the  ensuing 
winter  training,  the  small  portion  of  the  shoot  near 
the  corner,  may  then  be  brought  close  to  the  surface 
of  the  wall  without  danger. 

Thirdly^  if,  notwithstanding  these  precautions,  the 
shoot  should  break  during  the  operation,  there  will 
yet  be  some  portion  of  the  bark  of  the  inner  side  of 
it  that  will  connect  the  parts  together,  and  this,  if 
managed  in  the  following  manner,  will  ultimately  re- 
unite the  broken  parts.  Take  a  piece  of  thick  wool- 
len cloth  about  six  inches  long,  and  four  broad,  and, 
binding  it  firmly  round  the  shoot  where  it  is  broken, 
tie  it  closely  with  small  packthread  at  each  end,  but 
not  in  the  middle  where  the  breach  is.  The  object  of 
this  is  to  keep  the  air  from  the  wound,  and  also  the 
parts  moist,  which  is  effected  by  the  bandage  being 
of  woolen,  the  inner  folds  of  which  will  scarcely  ever 
be  dry,  even  in  the  hottest  weather.  If  this  bandage 
be  put  on  carefully,  the  parts  will  firmly  reunite  by 
the  close  of  the  next  growing  season,  and  it  may  then 
be  taken  off". 


140  CATALOGUE    OF    GRAPES 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

DESCRIPTIVE  CATALOGUE  OF  TWELVE  SORTS  OF  GRAPES 
MOST  SUITABLY  ADAPTED  FOR  CULTURE  ON  OPEN 
WALLS. 

1.  Black  Hamburgh.  Bunches  rather  large,  and 
handsomely  shouldered.  Berries  hang  loosely  on  the 
hunches,  oval-shaped  in  general,  and  when  well  thin- 
ned, measure,  when  ripe,  from  two  inches  and  a  half 
to  three  inches  and  a  half  in  circumference.  SJciii 
rather  thick,  very  nearly  black,  and  if  well  shaded 
with  leaves,  covered  with  a  beautiful  blue  bloom. 
Pulp  fleshy,  sweet,  and  of  a  rich  vinous  flavor. 
Ripens  in  a  south-eastern  aspect,  about  the  middle  of 
October,  and  may  be  easily  kept  on  the  vine  in  good 
preservation  till  Christmas. 

As  a  splendid  table-fruit,  this  is,  in  every  respect, 
one  of  the  most  valuable  grapes  that  can  be  grown  on 
open  walls.  It  is  a  prolific  bearer,  hardy  in  its  na- 
ture, and,  under  judicious  culture,  will  ripen  with  as 
small  a  portion  of  direct  solar  heat  as  any  grape  we 
have. 

2.  Black  Prince.  Bunches  large,  long,  and  in 
general  well  shouldered.  Berries  oval,  and  when 
well  thinned,  nearly  as  large  as  those  of  the  Black 
Hamburgh,  ^kin  rather  thick,  very  dark  purple,  and 
covered  with  a  thick  blue  bloom.  Pvlp  fleshy,  juicy, 
and  well-flavored.  Ripens  in  a  south-eastern  aspect 
about  the  middle  of  October. 

This  is  a  very  fine  grape,  and  nearly,  if  not  quite, 
equal  to  the  Black  Hamburgh. 

3.  Esperione.  Bmiches  and  herries  closely  resem- 
ble, in  size  and  shape,  the  Black  Hamburgh,  ^kin 
nearly  black,  and  covered  with  a  blue  bloom.  The 
jmlp^  which  adheres  to  the  skin,  is  pleasant  and  well- 
flavored.  The  leaves  die  upon  the  vine  of  a  rich 
orange  hue. 


ADAPTED    TO    OPEN    WALLS.  141 

The  Esperione  vine  is  very  hardy,  extremely  pro- 
hfic,  and  ripens  its  fruit  perfectly  in  any  season,  how- 
ever unfavorable. 

4.  Black  Muscadine.  Bunches  medium  sized,  and 
rather  long.  Berries  round.  Skin  black,  and  cov- 
ered with  a  very  thick  blue  bloom,  which  gives  the 
bunches  a  beautiful  appearance.  Pulp  juicy,  and, 
when  well  ripened,  of  a  good  flavor. 

This  is  a  very  prolific  bearer,  but  it  requires  a  good 
aspect  to  ripen  it  perfectly. 

5.  Miller's  Burgundy.  Bunches  short,  thick,  and 
small.  Berries  small,  rather  oval,  black,  and  grow 
very  close  on  the  bunches.  Skin  rather  thin,  and 
covered  with  a  blue  bloom.  Pulp  juicy,  very  sweet, 
and  high-flavored. 

This  is  a  very  hardy  and  prolific  grape,  and  ripens 
perfectly  in  any  season.  Its  leaves,  which  are  very 
thick,  distinguish  it  from  every  other  sort,  being  cov- 
ered on  both  sides  with  a  hoary  down,  which,  when 
they  are  young,  is  nearly  white ;  hence  it  is  called  the 
Mi^ller^s  grape. 

6.  Claret  Grape.  Bunches  small  and  thick.  Ber- 
ries black,  small,  rather  oval,  and  closely  set.  Skin 
rather  thick,  and  generally  covered  with  a  bluish 
bloom.  Pulp  juicy.  Juice  of  a  blood  red  color,  but 
of  a  harsh  taste  unless  perfectly  ripened. 

It  requires  a  good  aspect. 

This  is  a  very  fine  wine  grape.  Early  in  the  sum- 
mer, its  leaves  change  to  a  russet  red,  and  die  in  the 
autumn,  of  a  deep  purple  blood  color. 

7.  Black  Frontignan.  Bunches  small.  Berries 
round,  small,  and  thickly  set.  Skin  black,  and  cov- 
ered with  a  light  blue,  or  violet  bloom.  Pulp  juicy, 
and  of  a  rich  vinous  musky  flavor. 

8.  Grizzly  Frontignan.  Bunches  medium  sized, 
with  small  shoulders.  Berries  round,  and  of  a  light 
brown  color,  intermixed  with  red  and  yellow.  The 
juice  is  exceedingly  rich,  and  possesses  a  high  musky 

perfumed  flavor. 

9.  White  Frontignan.      Bunches  long,  and  occa- 


142  CATALOGUE    OF    GRAPES 

sionally  shouldered.  Berries  round,  rather  large, 
pretty  closely  set,  of  a  dull  greenish  yellow,  and  cov- 
ered with  a  whitish  powdery  bloom.  Pulp  juicy, 
sweet,  very  rich,  with  an  exquisite  musky  flavor. 

The  flavor  of  this  and  the  two  preceding  grapes  is 
so  extremely  delicious,  that  no  good  vine  wall  should 
be  without  them.  They  ripen  well  when  the  aspect 
is  good,  and  the  soil  very  dry  ;  but  being  thin-skinned, 
and  constitutionally  disposed  to  decay  after  they  be- 
come fully  ripe,  they  cannot  be  kept  long  on  the  vine ; 
particularly  if  the  wall  against  which  they  are  grow- 
ing be  destitute  of  a  projecting  coping. 

10.  White  Muscadine.  Bunches  middle  sized, 
shouldered,  and  handsomely  formed.  Berries  round, 
and  rather  large.  Ski7i  thin,  and  if  exposed  to  the 
direct  rays  of  the  sun,  acquires,  when  fully  ripe,  a 
yellowish  brown  color.  Pulp  juicy,  rich,  and  well- 
flavored. 

This  is  an  exceedingly  fine  grape,  and  a  prolific 
bearer ;  and  from  its  hardy  nature,  and  the  certainty 
with  which  it  ripens  in  any  season,  it  may  be  consid- 
ered as  the  best  white  grape  that  can  be  grown  on 
open  walls. 

11.  Malmsey  Muscadine.  This  resembles  the  pre- 
ceding, except  that  the  berries  are  smaller,  and  the 
bunches  not  so  regularly  formed;  but  the  juice  is 
sweeter,  and  possesses  a  higher  flavor. 

12.  White  Sweetwater.  Bunches  middle  sized. 
Berries  large,  round,  and  grow  close  upon  the  bunches. 
Skin  thin,  and  when  exposed  to  the  sun,  and  fully 
ripe,  pretty  thickly  set  with  spots  of  a  light  russet 
color.     Pulp  very  juicy  and  luscious. 

This  is  a  delicious  grape,  but  owing  to  its  tender- 
ness when  in  blossom,  the  berries  set  very  unevenly 
on  the  branches. 

If  it  be  desired  to  have  a  very  early  sort,  to  the 
preceding  may  be  added  the  Early  Black  July^ 
which,  though  the  bunches  and  berries  are  small,  and 
the  latter,  in  general,  unevenly  set,  is  a  very  sweet, 
and  also  a  well-flavored  grape. 


ADAPTED    TO    OPEN    WALLS.  143 

It  would  be  easy  to  increase  this  catalogue  numeri- 
cally, if  it  were  necessary,  but  such  a  course,  if 
adopted,  would  only  bewilder  the  cultivator,  and  ren- 
der it  a  difficult  matter  for  him  to  choose  those  sorts 
which  experience  has  proved  are  most  appropriately 
adapted  for  culture  on  open  walls.  The  sorts  here 
enumerated  embrace  almost  every  variation  in  flavor, 
color,  and  size  of  berry  that  can  be  perfectly  ripened 
in  the  open  air. 


ON 


PLANTING  AND  MANAGING   THE  ROOTS 


GRAPE  VINES. 


ADVERTISEMENT, 


In  submitting  to  the  public  the  following  pages, 
the  author  is  aware  that  he  is  promulgating  principles 
and  modes  of  practice,  with  reference  to  the  culture 
of  the  Vine,  that  are  somewhat  at  variance  with 
commonly  received  notions. 

It  may  not,  therefore,  be  altogether  unnecessary 
for  him  to  observe,  that  he  has  not  recommended  any 
point  of  culture  or  particular  routine  of  practice,  the 
merits  and  advantages  of  which  he  has  not,  himself, 
for  years  repeatedly  and  carefully  tested. 

The  object  which  the  author  has  in  view  in  the 
present  publication,  is,  again  to  contribute  what  little 
assistance  he  has  it  in  his  power  to  render,  towards 
improving  the  culture  of  the  Vine,  and  placing  it  on 
a  firm  and  certain  basis,  by  the  diffusion  of  those 
sound  and  definite  principles,  which  are  the  never- 
failing  offspring  of  carefully  acquired  experimental 
knowledsfe. 


Shirley  Vineyard,  Southampton, 
July,  1844. 


ON 

PLANTING  AND  MANAGING  THE  ROOTS 

OF 

GRAPE  VINES. 


In  the  various  operations  of  Practical  Horticulture, 
more  especially  in  the  culture  of  exotic  fruits,  there 
are  certain  fundamental  principles  established  by  na- 
ture, which,  if  not  strictly  adhered  to  by  the  operator, 
will  render  all  his  eiforts  of  a  doubtful  and  uncertain 
issue.  One  of  these  leading  principles  is,  that  every 
exotic  fruit  tree  should  be  placed  in,  and  surrounded 
by,  such  atmospheric  and  terrestrial  conditions  as  it 
enjoys  in  its  native  climate  and  country.  And  the 
closer  the  approximation  be  made  to  these  conditions, 
the  nearer  to  the  standard  of  perfection  will  the  fruit 
of  any  respective  exotic  tree  arrive. 

And  these  observations  apply  pre-eminently  to  the 
grape  vine,  in  the  glass  culture  of  which,  in  this 
country,  artificial  means  have  been  successfully  re- 
sorted to,  to  surround  its  branches  and  fruit  with 
atmospheric  conditions  similar  to  those  it  enjoys  in  its 
native  country,  but  no  definite  or  effectual  method 
has  hitherto  been  adopted  for  conferring  on  the  roots 
the  same  advantages. 

It  is  the  object,  therefore,  of  the  following  pages,  to 
promulgate  a  method,  of  easy  practical  application,  by 
which  this  disparity  that  has  heretofore  existed  will 
be  considerably  lessened,  by  planting  the  roots  of 
vines  in  drier  and  warmer  materials  than  common  soil. 

The  grape  vine,  in  whatsoever  part  of  the  world  it 


im 


PLANTING    AND    MANAGING 


may  be  growing,  whether  in  its  native  country,  or  on 
the  confines  of  the  torrid  zone,  or  at  the  extreme  hmit 
of  the  vinous  latitude  in  either  hemisphere,  delights 
most  in  rocky,  stony,  or  gravelly  soils,  and  it  is  in 
soils  of  this  description  that  grapes  are  brought  to  a 
far  higher  degree  of  perfection  than  in  any  other  de- 
scription of  soil  whatever.  On  examination,  the  rea- 
son will  be  obvious.  The  vine,  from  the  succulent 
nature  of  its  shoots  while  they  are  yet  green,  and  in 
the  coarse  of  formation  throughout  the  summer,  re- 
quires during  that  period  a  constant  supply  of  mois- 
ture for  the  roots  to  feed  upon ;  and  that  particular 
degree  of  moisture  which  has  been  found  by  experi- 
ence to  produce  in  a  vine  a  suitable  growth,  accom- 
panied by  a  healthy  and  perfect  development  of  its 
fruit-bearing  powers,  is  always  present  in  soils  of  the 
above-mentioned  description.  And  this  constant 
presence  of  moisture  arises  from  the  fact,  that  frag- 
ments of  rocks,  stones,  or  other  similar  hard  substan- 
ces, when  embedded  in  the  soil,  always  attract  mois- 
ture to  their  surfaces,  which  are  therefore,  in  conse- 
quence, never  dry.  Hence  the  roots  of  vines  delight 
to  ramble  in  such  soils,  in  preference  to  all  others,  be- 
cause they  derive  therein  a  steady,  constant,  and  equa- 
ble supply  of  moisture  throughout  all  the  variations  of 
the  season,  as  free  from  excess  on  the  one  hand,  as  from 
a  deficiency  on  the  other.  Soils,  therefore,  that  contain 
the  greatest  quantity  of  these  materials,  so  disposed  or 
placed  together,  whether  by  nature  or  art,  as  to  present 
to  the  roots  of  the  vine  the  greatest  possible  extent  of 
surface  within  a  given  space,  are  precisely  those  which 
are  adapted  for  the  successful  culture  of  the  vine. 

In  the  hottest  countries  of  the  vinous  latitude,  soils 
of  this  descriprion  invariably  produce  the  finest  flavor- 
ed grapes ;  and  if  the  roots  of  vines  growing  there 
under  such  circumstances  can  procure  sufficient  nour- 
ishment to  accomplish  this,  where  the  temperature  is 
so  much  higher,  and  where  the  expenditure  of  sap 
through  the  medium  of  the  leaves,  in  consequence  of 
the  intensity  of  the  solar  rays,  is  so  much  greater  than 


ROOTS   OF   GRAPE   VINES.  149 

in  this  country,  how  small  a  quantity  of  moisture,  in 
proportion,  will  be  necessary  to  support  a  vine  here, 
where  from  the  moisture  of  the  air,  and  other  obvious 
circumstances,  the  leaves  themselves  collect  a  great 
portion  of  the  nourishment  that  maintains  its  vitahty. 

For  it  must  not  be  forgotten,  that  in  departing 
northward  from  the  native  country  of  the  vine,  the 
power  of  the  sun  gradually  diminishes,  and  the  cold- 
ness of  the  soil  as  gradually  increases,  evaporation  is 
in  consequence  greatly  reduced,  and  a  far  less  quan- 
tity of  moisture,  therefore,  is  required  by  the  roots  in 
this  country  to  supply  the  demands  of  the  leaves.  It 
follows,  then,  that  the  nearer  we  approach  the  north- 
ern limit  of  the  vinous  latitude,  the  drier  ought  the 
soil  to  be  in  Avhich  the  roots  of  vines  are  planted. 

From  this  general  rule,  therefore,  may  be  deduced 
the  important  fact,  that  as  this  limit  is  many  degrees 
south  of  Britain,  a  collection  of  stones,  or  of  similar 
substances  without  any  admixture  of  soil  whatever, 
will  form  the  best  border  for  the  roots  of  vines  in  this 
country.  This  may  appear  to  be  scarcely  credible, 
such  however  is  the  case;  for  theory  distinctly  points 
it  out,  and  practice  amply  confirms  it.  Many  years' 
experience,  indeed,  has  satisfactorily  convinced  me, 
that  there  is  scarcely  any  description  of  soil  in  this 
country  that  is  not  naturally  too  cold,  or  that  does  not 
hold  water  in  suspension  too  long  to  be  well  adapted 
for  the  successful  culture  of  the  vine. 

A  slight  further  consideration  of  the  disadvan- 
tageous difference  that  exists  in  the  conditions  which 
nature  has  created  for  the  perfection  of  the  vine  in  its 
native  country,  and  those  that  exist  in  Britian,  will 
be  sufficient  to  show  that  a  decrease  of  moisture  in 
the  soil,  and  a  consequent  increase  of  dryness  and 
warmth,  are  absolutely  essential,  in  order  to  approxi- 
mate as  nearly  as  possible  to  the  native  soil  of  the  vine. 

The  mean  annual  temperature  of  Syria,  the  most 

favored  country  of  the  vine,  is  about  25"  higher  than 

that  of  England ;  and  to  this  very  striking  difference 

between  the  mean   annual   temperature  of  the   two 

13* 


150  PLANTING   AND   MANAGING 

countries  must  be  added  the  important  fact,  that  in 
the  latter  country  there  is  a  much  greater  disparity  be- 
twixt the  summer  and  winter  temperature  than  in  the 
former.  And  it  is  this  disparity  that  operates  so  pre- 
judicially in  the  early  forcing  of  the  vine,  which,  if  it 
be  commenced  in  the  winter,  will  place  the  branches 
in  the  enjoyment  of  a  temperature  of  at  least  70<^, 
while  that  of  the  soil  in  which  the  roots  are  planted 
will  probably  not  exceed  35^ !  Nor  does  the  soil  be- 
come but  little  warmer  till  a  late  period  in  the  spring, 
until  after  the  crop  of  grapes  will  have  been  matured, 
and  when  it  is,  therefore,  too  late  for  the  fruit  to  de- 
rive anj  benefit  from  the  increased  warmth.  These 
disadvantages,  with  many  others  that  flow  from  them, 
acting  in  combination  together,  require  the  utmost 
skill  of  the  cultivator  to  parry  them  off  and  counteract 
their  injurious  effects. 

But  great  as  the  disparity,  however,  is,  that  usually 
exists  betwixt  the  temperature  of  the  branches  and 
the  roots  of  early  forced  vines,  it  is  considerably  in- 
creased by  the  prevalent  practice  of  making  rich  and 
highly  manured  borders  for  the  roots  to  grow  in. 

Previously,  however,  to  any  remarks  on  this  head, 
it  may  be  opportunely  observed,  that  the  vegetative 
power  of  the  vine  is  wholly  distinct  from  its  matura- 
live  power.  The  latter,  which  is  the  power  of  pro- 
ducing and  perfecting  its  fruit,  cannot  exist  without 
the  former ;  but  the  former,  which  is  the  power  of  pro- 
ducing shoots  and  leaves,  can  and  does  exist  without 
the  latter. 

In  the  native  country  of  the  vine,  these  two  powers 
are  by  nature  equally  balanced,  but  this  balance  is 
destroyed  in  progressing  towards  the  equator  on  the 
other  hand.  Within  the  tropics  the  light  and  heat 
are  too  intense  for  the  vegetative  power,  which  cannot 
therefore  exist  in  sufficient  strength  to  support  the 
maturative  power;  consequently,  grapes  cannot  be 
grown  there  without  artificial  means  being  used  to 
reduce  and  circumscribe  the  too  powerful  eftects  of 
the  sun.     On  the  other  hand,  in  receding  northward 


ROOTS    OF    GRAPE    VINES.  151 

from  the  vinons  country,  a  precisely  opposite  effect 
takes  place.  Every  degree  of  latitude  in  that  direc- 
tion brings  with  it  an  increase  of  the  vegetative 
power,  and  a  decrease  of  the  maturative  power.  And 
so  great  is  the  disparity  betwixt  these  two  powers  as 
they  exist  in  England,  that  in  the  southern  parts  the 
latter  power  bears  about  the  same  proportion  to  the 
former  as  one  does  to  ten,  while  in  the  northern  parts, 
the  maturative  power  becomes  wholly  extinct,  al- 
though the  branches  of  the  vine  possess  there  a  vigor- 
ous growth. 

If,  therefore,  the  shoots  and  leaves  of  a  vine  planted 
in  this  country  become  so  exceedingly  strong,  as  to 
exist  in  proportion  to  its  fruit-bearing  power  in  the 
ratio  of  ten  to  one,  for  what  useful  purpose,  it  may 
be  asked,  can  manure,  or  anything  in  the  nature  of  a 
stimulant  to  promote  growth,  be  added  to  the  soil  in 
which  vines  are  planted?  Not  certainly  to  increase 
their  prolificacy,  for  it  will  have  a  tendency  to  pro- 
duce a  contrary  effect.  It  is  not  only  in  England  that 
vines  cannot  be  made  prolific  by  adding  stimulants  to 
the  soil  in  which  they  grow,  but  it  is  the  same 
throughout  the  whole  vinous  latitude.  In  no  part  of 
the  world  can  a  vine  be  made  to  produce  a  single 
grape  more  than  it  otherwise  would  do.  by  the  exclu- 
sive agency  of  anything  added  to  the  soil  in  the  shape 
of  a  stimulant,  except  under  the  circumstances  here- 
after mentioned.  Grapes  are  the  sole  creation  of  solar 
light  and  heat.  The  earth  produces  the  raw  material 
in  the  form  of  branches  and  leaves,  but  the  sun  must 
step  in  and  consolidate  the  juices,  otherwise  not  a  sin- 
gle grape  will  be  produced. 

Here,  then,  is  the  grand  distinction  to  be  made  in 
the  effect  produced  by  manuring  the  roots  of  vines, 
according  to  the  latitude  in  which  they  grow. 

Assuming  that  in  all  the  countries  where  the  vine 
is  indigenous,  and  which  in  the  northern  hemisphere 
are  generally  considered  to  be  comprehended  betwixt 
the  25th  and  44th  degrees  of  latitude,  the  two  powers 
of  the  vine  are,  as  has  been  already  stated  (for  a  little 


152  PLANTING  AND  MANAGING 

repetition  is  necessary  here  for  the  sake  of  clearness), 
equally  balanced,  that  is,  that  every  vine  is  sufficient- 
ly strong  in  its  growth  to  perfect  all  the  grapes  it  pro- 
duces; then  in  all  these  countries  stimulants  to  the 
soil  may  be  added  to  advantage,  because  any  increase 
in  the  shoots  of  a  vine  there  will  be  followed  by  a 
corresponding  increase  in  the  quantity  of  fruit. 

Passing,  however,  the  southern  limit  of  this  district 
towards  The  tropic,  the  light  and  heat  of  the  sun  be- 
comes too  intense  for  the  vine,  the  shoots  and  leaves 
of  which  are  enhausted  by  excessive  perspiration,  and 
cannot,  therefore,  yield  that  nourishment  which  the 
maturative  powers  of  the  plant  require. 

In  countries,  therefore,  where  this  is  the  case, 
manure  may  be  added  to  the  soil  with  even  greater 
advantage  than  in  the  native  district  of  the  vine.  But 
as  soon  as  we  pass  northward  of  that  specific  line  of 
demarcation  which  terminates  the  northern  limit  of 
the  indigenous  district  of  the  vine,  the  reverse,  as  has 
been  already  stated,  takes  place.  As  the  power  of  the 
sun  becomes  progressively  weaker,  so  also  does  the 
fruit-bearing  powers  of  the  vine,  while  the  growing 
powers  of  it  progressively  increase.  And  when  this 
is  the  case,  to  stimulate  the  soil  in  which  vines  are 
planted,  is  to  cause  an  increase  of  growth,  when  that 
growth  is  already  naturally  too  strong. 

If,  with  an  increase  of  growth,  a  corresponding 
increase  of  solar  light  and  heat  could  by  any  means 
be  produced,  the  case  would  be  very  different.  Then, 
indeed,  the  powers  of  the  vine  would  harmonize 
together,  and  the  balance  betwixt  the  roots,  and  the 
foliage  and  fruit,  be  thereby  more  equally  preserved. 
But  as  this  is  impossible,  other  means  than  stimulating 
the  growing  powers  of  the  vine  must  be  resorted  to, 
to  make  it  become  prolific,  and  those  means  are  to 
make  the  best  possible  use,  in  every  conceivable  way. 
of  the  solar  light  and  heat  that  we  do  possess. 

To  return  now  to  the  consideration  of  the  effects 
of  highly  manured  borders.  It  must,  however,  be 
first  remarked,  that  the  preceding  observations  on  the 


ROOTS    OF   GRAPE    VINES.  153 

effects  of  manure  are  intended  to  apply  exclusively  to 
vines  cultivated  under  glass,  and  not  to  those  trained 
on  the  open  wall.  These  latter  frequently  suffer  from 
adverse  contingencies  of  the  season,  and  are  thereby 
exposed  to  many  drawbacks  on  their  growth ;  manure, 
therefore,  of  a  dry  and  moderate  nature,  and  of  perma- 
nent duration,  such  as  bones,  may  be  beneficially 
applied  to  the  soil  in  which  their  roots  are  growing. 
But  the  case  is  very  different  with  vines,  the  branches 
of  which  are  trained  under  glass.  The  foliage  of 
these  never  experiences  the  adverse  effects  of  strong 
or  parching  winds,  or  storms  of  hail,  or  long  con- 
tinued drought.  The  shoots  and  leaves  are  so  com- 
pletely under  command,  that  the  cultivator  can  make 
the  vines  do  almost  what  he  pleases.  He  can  at  any 
time  create  a  temperature  that  is  warm  and  moist; 
and  this  is  so  congenial  to  the  growing  shoots  and 
leaves  of  vines,  that  in  an  atmosphere  of  this  descrip- 
tion they  will  almost  get  their  own  living  without 
troubling  the  roots  for  any  nourishment  at  all.  It  is 
a  mistaken  notion,  therefore,  to  suppose  that  because 
a  vine  is  forced^  that  is,  made  to  produce  its  fruit  at  a 
contrary  period  of  the  year  than  under  natural  circum- 
stances it  otherwise  would  do,  it  therefore  requires  a 
highly  manured  border  for  the  roots  to  grow  in. 
Quite  the  contrary  is  the  case,  and  yet  how  universal- 
ly is  this  notion  acted  upon ! 

The  effect  of  forcing  vines  under  glass  is  to  cause 
great  rapidity  of  growth  in  the  shoots,  and  tliis  is 
unfavorable  to  the  formation  of  good  fruit  buds. 
Slowness  of  growth  is  the  first  step  towards  the  pro- 
duction of  good  bearing- wood  ;  and  this  point  should 
be  aimed  at  by  exposing  the  shoots  during  their 
growth  to  the  greatest  possible  amount  of  light  and 
heat.  These  all-powerful  agents  will  check  the  too 
rapid  growth  of  the  shoots,  and  thereby  produce 
short-jointed  wood ;  and  this  description  of  wood,  in 
whatever  part  of  the  world  it  may  be  produced,  is 
always  prolific. 

Some  few  years  since,  the  author  received  a  bundle 


154  PLANTING    AND   MANAGING 

of  vine  cuttings  from  one  of  the  most  celebrated  vine- 
yards in  Spain.  They  were  the  entire  growth  of  the 
year,  as  each  had  a  portion  of  the  preceding  year's 
wood  attached  to  it.  The  longest  shoot  measured  8J 
feet,  but  the  average  length  was  about  eight  feet. 
The  wood  was  perfectly  cylindrical,  and  of  the 
closest  texture,  and  almost  as  hard  as  heart  of  oak. 
The  buds  were  large,  prominent,  and  highly  symmet- 
rical, and  stood  out  in  bold  relief  on  the  sides  of  the 
canes.  They  were  produced  so  near  to  each  other  as 
to  be  only  If  of  an  inch  apart.  Now,  a  correspond- 
ing shoot  produced  in  this  country  by  an  established 
vine  would  be  about  25  feet  in  length,  and  the  buds 
would  be  on  an  average,  distant  from  each  other  be- 
twixt four  and  five  inches.  The  shoots  produced  in 
these  different  countries,  therefore,  would  each  contain 
pretty  nearly  the  same  number  of  buds;  and  the 
question  immediately  arises,  what  was  the  cause  of 
the  great  disproportion  that  existed  in  the  length  of 
these  shoots'?  Simply,  no  other  than  the  greater 
intensity  of  the  light  and  heat  which  the  Spanish 
shoots  enjoyed  over  the  English  shoot.  Nature  was 
as  long  manufacturing  1|  of  an  inch  of  wood  in 
Spain  as  she  was  4|  inches  in  this  country;  but  then, 
in  the  former  instance,  the  bright  light  of  the  sun, 
and  the  intensity  of  his  rays,  would  not  let  the  shoot 
go  ahead.  Their  united  influence  caused  it  to  linger 
in  its  growth,  and  its  watery  sap,  therefore,  was 
turned  into  a  jelly-like  sabstance  almost  as  fast  as  it 
was  produced,  and  then  fine  fruit  buds  was  the 
natural  consequence.  And  these  shoots  may  be  con- 
sidered as  types  of  all  others  produced  within  the 
vinous  latitude. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  a  certain  amount  of  direct 
solar  light  and  heat  will  cause  slowness  of  growth  in 
the  shoots  of  a  vine,  and  the  consequent  production 
of  fine  fruit  buds  ;  any  point  of  culture,  therefore,  that 
may  be  followed  for  the  purpose  of  causing  a  vine  to 
grow  fast,  and  to  compel  its  shoots  to  elongate  at  a 
railroad  pace,  is  a  step  taken  in  the  wrong  direction, 


ROOTS  OF  GRAPE  VINES.  155 

and  calculated  to  propuce  an  opposite  effect  to  that 
which  is  intended,  and  such  is  the  case  with  rich  and 
highly  manured  borders,  which  incite  the  roots  to  an 
unnatural  growth,  and  cause  the  shoots  to  elongate  at 
too  rapid  a  rate,  thereby  producing  long-jointed  ple- 
thoric wood,  and  such  a  mass  of  rampant  foliage  as 
can  with  great  difficulty  be  kept  within  its  allotted 
bounds.  AH  such  borders  are  at  the  same  time  much 
colder  in  consequence  of  the  stimulating  substances  of 
which  they  are  composed,  and  the  frequent  top- 
dressings  they  receive,  settling  down  into  a  solid  ad- 
hesive mass,  and  thereby  increasing  the  disparity  that 
exists  betwixt  the  temperature  of  the  roots  and 
branches. 

And  it  is  this  disparity  that  is  the  prolific  source  of 
the  mishaps  and  failures  that  are  so  constantly  occur- 
ring with  vines  under  glass,  especially  with  those  that 
are  forced  early.  The  colder  the  soil  is  in  which  the 
roots  are  planted,  the  later  will  it  be  in  spring  before 
they  move  and  yield  nourishment  to  the  branches ; 
and,  unless  some  kind  of  artificial  warmth  be  given  to 
the  roots,  they  cannot  produce  new  ones,  until  excited 
thereto  by  the  influence  of  the  solar  rays,  and  these 
are  not  sufficiently  powerful  for  that  purpose  until  a 
long  time  after  the  vernal  equinox.  The  difference  in 
point  of  time  which  exists  betwixt  the  period  when 
the  buds  open,  and  the  shootsof  the  vine  elongate,  and 
that  of  the  emission  as  new  roots,  is  at  all  times  much 
greater  than  is  usually  supposed.  Even  vines  on  the 
open  wall,  the  roots  and  branches  of  which  are  moved 
solely  by  the  natural  warmth  of  the  sun,  generally 
produce  leading  shoots  three  or  four  feet  long  before 
any  new  roots  make  their  appearance.* 

*  This  year  (1844)  the  author  had  occasion  to  examine  upwards  of  a 
thousand  young  vines  (part  of  his  nursery  stock)  of  the  respective  ages  of 
one,  two,  and  three  years,  the  shoots  of  which  had  been  growing,  although 
slowly,  from  the  1st  of  April  until  the  1st  of  July,  on  which  latter  day,  the 
examination  took  place. 

But  notwithstanding  a  period  of  three  calendar  months  had  intervened, 
not  one  of  these  vines  had  the  slightest  appearance  of  the  formation  of  any 
new  roots.    The  shoots  and  leaves  had  therefore  been  living  during  that 


156  PLANTING   AND    MANAGING 

But  with  vines  forced  early  under  glass,  the  dispar- 
ity is  surprisingly  great.  The  roots,  having  no  arti- 
ficial assistance,  do  not  move  one  minute  sooner  in 
the  spring,  because  the  branches  are  made  to  do  so. 
These  latter  are  produced  from,  and  entirely  live  on 
the  sap  contained  in  the  buds  and  branches.  The 
first  movement  of  the  sap  takes  place  in  the  upper- 
most buds;  it  is  there  excited  and  liquified  by  the 
heat,  the  buds  then  open,  and  a  shoot  is  the  conse- 
quence. The  same  process  quickly  follows  with  all 
the  other  buds  downwards;  and  after  the  sap  of  the 
preceding  year's  wood  is  exhausted,  the  main  trunk 
or  stem  of  the  vine  becomes  affected  by  the  heat,  and 
the  moisture  stored  up  in  its  cells,  is,  in  consequence, 
gradually  melted  or  liquified,  and  when  in  this  state  it 
continually  sends  up  nourishment  to  the  parts  above ; 
and  if  the  vine  be  an  established  one  of  some  years' 
growth,  it  will  yield  a  large  supply  for  even  months 
to  come.  Indeed,  it  is  the  only  source  of  nutriment 
that  the  green  shoots  and  leaves  have  at  their  com- 
mand, until  the  emission  of  new  roots,  except  that 
which  is  presented  to  them  by  the  moisture  of  the 
air  by  which  they  are  surrounded.  The  main  trunk 
of  the  vine  being  now,  therefore,  the  grand  reservoir 
of  supply,  the  organizable  matter  deposited  in  its  cells 
is  gradually  expended  in  the  elongation  of  the  shoots, 
and  the  formation  of  leaves  and  fruit.  And  such  is 
the  extraordinary  powers  of  expansion  which  this 
matter  is  endued  with,  that  out  of  a  cubical  inch  of 
it  nature  will  create  a  shoot  a  dozen  feet  long,  and 
clothe  it  with  vigorous  leaves,  and  the  leaves  in  their 
turn  will  extract  from  the  air  as  much  food  as  will 
make  that  shoot  half  as  long  again.  From  these 
sources  of  the  branches  and  leaves  of  the  vine,  then, 
the  whole  mass  of  the  foliage  and  also  the  fruit  will 
derive  their  nourishment  for  a  long  period  of  time, 

long  period  of  time,  entirely  on  the  sap  contained  in  the  buds  and  the 
small  portion  of  wood  left  in,  in  the  preceding  year. 

The  unexampled  dryness  of  the  spring  was,  without  doubt,  the  cause  of 
the  non-appearance  of  new  roots  at  so  late  a  period  of  the  season. 


KOOTS  OP  aRAPE  VINES.  157 

while  the  roots  are  yet  asleep,  and  have  no  part  nor 
lot  in  the  matter ;  and  if  the  vine  should  have  been 
forced  very  early,  the  grapes  will  be  actually  swelled 
off  before  the  solar  heat  can  have  put  in  motion  the 
sap  contained  in  the  roots.  Unless,  therefore,  artifi- 
cial means  be  used  to  make  the  roots  move  before 
their  natural  time,  an  early  forced  vine  will  present 
the  very  singular  anomaly  of  having  produced  a  vast 
mass  of  foliage,  and  a  matured  crop  of  grapes  before 
the  roots  can  have  contributed  anything  towards  their 
support. 

And  what  are  the  consequences  that  result  from 
compelling  nature  thus  to  produce  foliage  and  perfect 
fruit,  when  her  grand  agents,  light  and  heat,  are  com- 
paratively dormant?  Simply  these,  that  if  the  sap 
contained  in  the  trunk  and  branches  of  the  vine  be  all 
exhausted  in  the  formation  of  the  fruit  and  foliage, 
before  that  in  the  roots  can  come  to  its  assistance  and 
follow  up  the  supply,  the  fruit  is  then  exposed  to  the 
fatal  effects  of  shrivelling,  and  shanking,  and  all  the 
other  numerous  ills  that  so  frequently  befal  early 
forced  grapes,  and  the  vine  itself  suffers  in  conse- 
quence, what  may  be  very  aptly  termed,  a  complete 
paralytic  stroke ! 

Suflicieut,  it  is  presumed,  has  now  been  said  to  show 
the  necessity  of  improving  the  culture  of  the  vine,  and 
placing  it  on  a  more  certain  basis  than  it  is  at  present 
with  reference  to  the  management  of  the  roots,  by 
surrounding  them  with  such  conditions  as  shall  ap- 
proximate more  nearly  to  those  they  enjoy  when  grow- 
ing indigenously  in  their  native  country  ;  and  in  doing 
this  the  task  will  be  abundantly  simple. 

It  has  already  been  remarked  that  the  roots  of  vines 
delight  to  ramble  amongst  rocks  and  stones,  and  sim- 
ilar substances,  and  that  when  vines  are  planted  in 
soils  abounding  in  these  substances,  they  always  pro- 
duce finer  and  better  flavored  grapes,  than  when 
planted  in  any  other  description  of  soil.  Such  being 
the  case,  there  will  be  no  diliiculty  whatever  in  mak- 
ing an  artificial  soil  of  this  nature,  which  shall  be  cal- 
14 


1§B>  PLANTING    AND   MANAGlNlS 

culated  in  every  respect  to  produce  a  very  superior 
growth  of  the  vine. 

In  furtherance  of  this  object,  it  happens  that  the 
best  description  of  materials  for  the  intended  purpose 
can  be  easily  procured,  at  any  time,  and  almost  in  any 
place.  These  are,  broken  bricks,  lumps  of  mortar, 
charcoal,  and  bo7tes.  The  three  first  should  be  reduced 
to  the  size  of  a  hen's  egg,  or  thereabouts.  Larger  or 
smaller  fragments  will  do,  but  when  they  are  about 
this  size  they  are  better  calculated  to  retain  the  requi- 
site degree  of  moisture,  in  connection  with  the  greatest 
possible  extent  of  surface.  The  bricks  should  not  be 
too  hard  burnt,  because  their  porosity  is  thereby  les- 
sened. Old  mortar  should  be  preferred  to  new,  when 
it  can  be  procured.  The  bones  may  either  be  broken 
into  fragments,  or  deposited  whole,  and  the  fresher 
they  are  the  better.  Any  description  of  bones  will  do, 
provided  they  are  those  ofanimals  arrived  at  maturity, 
and  are,  therefore,  of  a  solid  and  lasting  nature.  Such 
as  have  marrow  in  them  should  be  broken  asunder, 
that  the  interior  surface  may  be  available  to  the  roots 
of  the  vines;  and  the  lighter  and  more  porous  the 
charcoal  is,  the  better  will  it  answer  the  intended  pur- 
pose. The  whole  of  these  materials  should  be  used 
in  equal  proportion,  measure  for  measure,  and  should 
be  well  mixed  together.  But  before  this  is  done,  the 
bricks,  mortar,  and  charcoal  should  be  well  soaked  in 
urine,  and  then  used  immediately.  And  as  these  sub- 
stances convey  to  the  roots  of  vines  an  extraordinary 
supply  of  nutriment,  in  a  highly  concentrated  form,  a 
small  quantity  in  bulk,  in  proportion  to  that  of  common 
soil,  will  be  amply  sufficient  to  support  a  single  vine 
for  a  long  series  of  years. 

The  manner  in  which  these  materials  are  to  be  used, 
so  as  to  form  a  bed  for  the  roots  of  vines,  remains  now 
to  be  explained. 

One  general  rule  must  be  first  laid  down,  and  that 
is,  that  whether  they  be  deposited  in  an  open  border, 
or  in  the  interior  of  a  vhiery,  they  must  be  enclosed 
on  all  sides  within  solid  brickwork.    This  is  necessary 


ROOTS    OF    GRAPE   VINES.  159 

to  prevent  the  roots  from  penetrating  into  the  adjacent 
cold  soil,  and  also  to  keep  the  materials  always  in  a 
moist  state,  for  which  purpose  brickwork  is  admirably 
adapted,  on  account  of  the  porosity  or  power  of  suc- 
tion, or  absorption  of  moisture,  which  bricks  are  well 
known  to  possess.  If,  therefore,  any  quantity  of  the 
above-mentioned  materials  be  enclosed  in  brickwork 
and  placed  compactly  together,  and  in  close  contact 
with  the  internal  surface  of  the  brickwork,  the  whole 
body  of  those  materials  will,  in  a  short  time  after  they 
are  so  placed,  become  moist,  and,  once  moist,  they 
can  never  again,  at  any  time  afterwards,  become  dry. 
They  will,  therefore,  always  be  in  that  state  which  is 
more  suitable  to  the  roots  of  the  vine  than  any  other, 
namely,  always  moist,  but  never  ivet. 

Another  general  rule  also  remains  now  to  be  men- 
tioned, which  must  never  be  departed  from.  All 
vines  intended  for  early  forcing  should  be  planted  in- 
side of  the  vinery. 

The  roots  of  vines  so  planted,  being  enclosed  in 
brickwork,  as  before  directed,  are  then  protected  from 
all  the  cold  agencies  of  the  atmosphere,  and  are, 
moreover,  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  much  higher  tem- 
perature, in  addition  to  which  they  receive  the  benefit 
of  the  heated  atmosphere  of  the  vinery ;  and  these 
are  advantages  that  cannot  be  estimated  too  highly. 
They  form,  in  fact,  an  integral  part  of  the  routine  of 
early  forcing,  the  successful  issue  of  which  cannot  be 
depended  upon  without  them. 

This  point  being  settled,  the  first  step  to  be  taken 
is  to  prepare  the  site  for  the  reception  of  the  mate- 
rials in  which  the  roots  are  to  be  inserted. 

In  doing  this,  the  following  directions  are  to  be 
observed  :— 

1st.  Assuming  that  a  new  vinery  is  about  to  be 
erected,  excavate  the  whole  area  of  it  to  the  depth  of 
three  feet  below  the  level  of  the  surface,  and  carry 
the  soil  entirely  away. 

2d.  Prepare  the  bottom  for  the  reception  of  a  floor 
of  brickwork,  by  making  the  surface  of  it  quite  smooth 
and  level. 


160  PLANTING   AND   MANAGING 

3d.  Pave  the  whole  area  of  the  bottom  with  good 
hard  bricks,  well  jointed  together,  either  with  cement 
or  well  prepared  mortar. 

4th.  Then  lay  the  foundations  of  the  walls  of  the 
vinery  on  this  flooring  of  brickwork,  and  carry  the 
walls  up  liollovj  as  high  as  the  surface  of  the  adjacent 
soil,  so  that  the  materials  about  to  be  enclosed  in 
them  shall  be  protected  from  the  chilling  effects  of  the 
soil  outside,  and  from  any  sudden  accession  of  water 
that  may  at  any  time  fall  thereon.  The  walls  may 
then  be  continued  solid  up  to  their  intended  height, 
although  every  house  intended  for  the  early  forcing 
of  grapes  ought  to  have  all  its  exterior  walls  built 
hollow  from  top  to  bottom. 

5th.  As  the  floor  of  the  vinery  is  to  be  laid  with 
bricks,  the  surface  of  which  is  to  be  an  inch  higher 
than  that  of  the  surrounding  soil,  provision  must  be 
made  for  the  bearing  of  the  sides  and  ends  of  such  of 
the  paving-bricks  as  will  come  in  contact  with  the 
walls,  by  having  a  set-off"  in  the  brickwork  of  the 
sides  and  ends  of  the  walls  of  not  less  than  an  inch 
in  breadth. 

6th.  Now,  as  a  series  of  walls  are  to  be  run  up 
parallel  to  the  ends  of  the  house,  for  the  flooring- 
bricks  to  rest  upon,  the  next  step  to  be  taken  is  to 
divide  the  area  oi  the  bottom  into  as  many  equal  por- 
tions or  breadths  as  shall  be  equal  to  the  number  of 
vines  intended  to  be  planted. 

Thus,  if  the  vines  are  to  be  planted  four  feet  apart, 
draw  a  line  from  the  front  to  the  back,  that  distance 
in  the  clear  from  one  of  the  end  walls,  and  on  this 
line  run  up  a  wall  to  such  a  height  that  the  surface  of 
the  top  of  it  shall  range  exactly  even  with  that  of  the 
set-off"  in  the  main  walls.  This  cross-wall  must  be 
built  solid,  and  in  the  usual  manner,  with  the  bricks 
laid  flat;  the  breadth  of  it  will,  therefore,  be  about  4J 
inches,  giving  a  bearing  to  the  flooring-bricks  of  2\ 
inches.  Then  divide  the  space  thus  enclosed,  into 
parallel  spaces  of  the  same  width  as  the  bricks  are 
long.     On  all  the  sides  that  mark  the  divisions  of 


ROOTS  OF  GRAPE  VINES.  161 

these  spaces,  rim  up,  successively,  walls  built  in  a 
brick-oii-edge  manner,  the  surfaces  of  the  tops  of 
which  must  range  evenly  with  each  other,  and  also 
with  that  of  the  solid  wall  already  built.  These 
walls  will  be  about  2^  inches  thick,  and  will,  there- 
fore, afford  a  bearing  for  the  ends  of  the  flooring- 
bricks  of  IJ  inch.  These  walls,  it  must  be  observed, 
are  not  to  be  built  solid,  but  in  what  is  called  a 
pigeon-holed  manner,  that  is,  with  open  spaces  left  at 
regular  distances  in  the  brick-work.  When  these 
brick-on-edge  walls  are  finished,  one  compartment  for 
the  reception  of  a  single  vine  will  be  complete,  as  far 
as  the  walls  are  concerned ;  and  all  the  remaining 
area  of  the  bottom  of  the  house  is  to  be  occupied  by 
walls  built  up  in  the  same  manner,  and  enclosing  a 
similar  space  within  each  compartment.  The  solid 
walls  are  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  the  roots  of  the 
vines  separate  from  each  other,  and  the  intermediate 
walls  have  open  spaces  left  in  them,  to  permit  the 
roots  to  ramble  freely  throughout  the  entire  mass  of 
materials  deposited  within  each  compartment.  The 
roots  of  each  vine  being  thus  kept  separately,  any 
vine  can  be  taken  up,  and  removed,  if  circumstances 
should  at  any  time  render  it  necessary,  without  dis- 
turbing the  roots  of  the  other  vmes. 

7th.  The  cross-walls  being  all  finished,  they  had 
better  be  left  for  the  space  of  three  or  four  days  for 
the  brickwork  to  become  dry  and  firmly  set,  after 
which,  the  materials,  being  prepared  in  the  manner 
already  mentioned,  may  be  deposited  in  the  spaces 
betwixt  the  walls. 

They  should  be  filled  in  by  the  hand,  in  moderate 
quantities  at  a  time,  and  placed  carefully  and  com- 
pactly together,  clear  up  to  the  tops  of  the  walls,  so 
that  the  under-sides  of  the  flooring-bricks,  when  laid, 
may  be  in  close  contact  with  them. 

8th.     The  materials  being  thus  deposited,  the  floor 

may  then  be  laid  down ;   and  this  is  to  be  done  with 

good  hard  bricks,  of  the  very  best  description,  and, 

with  the  exception   about  to  be  mentioned,  jointed 

14^ 


162  PLANTING    AND    MANAGING 

together  with  well-tempered  mortar,  taking  care  that 
the  johits  be  struck  neatly,  and  in  a  workmanlike 
manner.  The  bricks  are,  of  course,  to  be  laid  length- 
wise, with  their  sides  parallel  to  the  back  of  the 
house,  and  their  ends  will  then  rest  on  the  cross- 
walls,  for  which  purpose  they  are  expressly  built. 

Now  it  must  be  particularly  observed  that  that  row 
or  course  of  bricks  that  runs  from  the  front  of  the 
house  to  the  back,  which  is  the  centre  row  of  each 
compartment,  and  under  which  course  a  vine  is  to 
have  its  roots  planted,  is  not,  when  put  down,  to  be 
cemented  with  mortar  or  anything  else,  but  laid  edge 
to  edge,  and  fitted  in  closely,  without  any  joints  being 
made,  other  than  those  which  the  bricks  themselves 
make,  so  that  they  can  easily  be  taken  up,  and  laid 
down  again,  at  any  time  when  it  may  be  thought 
necessary,  for  the  purpose  of  increasing  the  moisture 
of  the  bed  of  materials,  by  adding  water  or  liquid 
manure.  The  whole  llocr  might,  indeed,  be  laid  in 
this  manner,  without  any  of  the  joints  of  the  bricks 
being  cemented,  but  this  plan  would  be  very  injurious 
to  the  roots,  for  the  following  reason : — soon  after 
the  roots  begin  to  traverse  the  bed  of  materials,  a 
great  number  of  them  will  ramble  upwards  until  they 
reach  the  under  surface  of  the  brick  flooring,  being 
attracted  thereto  by  the  warmth  of  the  atmosphere  of 
the  house,  and  also  by  solar  influence.  When  the 
roots  once  get  there,  they  will  quickly-  multiply  by 
thousands,  and  feed  on  the  under  surface  of  the  bricks 
of  the  floor,  because  it  will  be  warmer  and  moister 
than  any  other  part  of  their  bed.  The  increased 
moisture  of  the  flooring  bricks  will  be  caused  by 
those  copious  sprinklings  on  the  floor  of  the  house, 
which  are  so  advantageously  given  to  vines  under 
glass,  from  the  time  of  the  setting  of  the  fruit,  imtil 
the  berries  are  about  to  swell  ofl',  and  which,  by 
creating  a  moist  atmosphere  at  night,  enable  the 
fruit  and  foliage  to  absorb  that  additional  nourish- 
ment, which  they  stand  so  much  in  need  of  at  this 
particular  period    of  their  growth.      A  considerable 


ROOTS  OF  GRAPE  VINES.  163 

portion  of  the  water  thus  sprinkled  on  the  floor,  will 
find  its  way  down  to  the  imder  surface  of  the  bricks, 
and  consequently  it  will  thus  be  seen,  that  what  is  so 
extremely  beneficial  to  the  fruit,  is  also  equally  bene- 
ficial to  the  roots.  If  the  flooring-bricks,  therefore, 
were  to  be  taken  up  at  any  time  after  the  roots  of  the 
vines  had  become  well  established;  this  grand  source 
of  nourishment  to  them  would  be  entirely  cut  off".  One 
course  of  movable  bricks,  therefore,  running  along 
the  middle  of  each  compartment,  containing  one  vine, 
will  be  sufficient  for  the  purpose  before  mentioned. 
When  the  flooring  is  finislied,  the  glazing,  &c.  of  the 
house  should  be  done  without  delay. 

9th.  Planting  the  vines.— ^hen  this  is  intended 
to  be  done,  the  following  directions  are  necessary  to 
be  attended  to. 

When  planted  in  the  Winter. — If  the  roots  be 
loose,  and  free  from  mould,  provide  for  every  vine 
two  pieces  of  flannel,  or  of  any  description  of  coarse 
woollen  cloth,  sufficiently  large  to  cover  over  the  roots 
when  they  are  all  spread  out  at  length. 

Put  these  pieces  of  cloth  in  soap-suds,  to  be  well 
soaked,  and,  while  that  is  being  done,  take  up  a  suffi- 
cient number  of  movable  bricks,  and  then  rake  away 
with  the  hand  the  materials  of  the  bed  where  a  vine 
is  to  be  inserted,  under  the  course  of  movable  bricks, 
to  the  depth  of  three  inches,  and  to  such  an  extent  of 
surface,  as  will  be  sufficient  for  the  roots  to  rest  upon, 
when  they  are  all  extended.  Then  make  the  surface 
of  this  space  quite  smooth  and  even. 

After  which  take  the  two  pieces  of  cloth  out  of  the 
soap-suds,  and  having  drained  them  for  a  couple  of 
minutes,  spread  one  of  them  out  on  the  surface  of  the 
bed,  for  the  reception  of  the  roots.  This  being  done, 
take  the  vine,  and  fixing  the  stem  of  it  in  its  proper 
place  and  position,  spread  the  roots  out  carefully  to 
their  full  extent  on  the  wet  cloth ;  then  lay  the  other 
piece  of  wet  cloth  on  the  roots,  and  replace  the  mate- 
rials that  were  raked  off  at  the  beginning,  on  this  up- 
permost wet  cloth,  taking  care  to  put  only  a  small 


164  PLANTING    AND   MANAGING 

quantity  at  a  time,  and  to  place  them  compactly  to- 
gether, so  as  to  cause  all  the  roots  to  be  in  close  con- 
tact with  the  surfaces  of  both  pieces  of  cloth,  then  re- 
lay the  bricks  on  the  floor  in  their  proper  places. 

The  roots  will  then  lie  warm  and  moist  betwixt  a 
couple  of  blankets,  and  being  thus  taken  care  of,  will, 
in  consequence,  send  forth  new  roots  with  the  great- 
est facility  when  the  proper  season  arrives.  Thus  one 
vine  will  be  disposed  of,  and  the  others  are  of  course 
to  be  planted  in  the  same  manner. 

If  the  roots,  however,  are  in  a  pot,  the  mode  of 
planting  must  be  a  little  different.  In  this  case,  the 
ball  of  earth  in  which  the  roots  are  growing  had  bet- 
ter not  be  disturbed.  Provide,  therefore,  one  piece  of 
cloth  for  each  vine,  and  soak  it  in  soap-suds  as  before. 
Then  take  the  vine  out  of  the  pot  with  the  ball  of 
earth  entire,  and  wrap  the  wet  cloth  round  it,  taking 
care  that  it  be  in  close  contact  with  the  surface  of  the 
soil  of  the  ball.  This  being  done,  bind  the  cloth 
tightly  round  with  pack-thread,  in  a  sufficiently  firm 
manner  to  keep  it  in  that  state,  and  then  insert  it  in 
the  bed  of  materials  in  the  usual  manner,  taking  care 
that  they  are  placed  closely  round  the  ball,  so  as  to 
leave  no  open  space  for  the  air  to  dry  up  the  moisture. 
The  wet  cloth  that  will  thus  remain  bound  round  the 
roots,  will  offer  no  impediment  whatever  to  their 
growth,  for  they  will  quickly  penetrate  through  it  in 
all  directions,  and  in  the  course  of  a  few  months  de- 
vour the  whole  so  completely,  that  not  a  vestige  of  it 
will  remain. 

When  planted  in  the  Smnmer. — In  this  case  the 
roots  will  of  course  be  in  a  groAving  state,  and  in  a 
pot,  otherwise  the  vine  cannot  be  transplanted  with 
safety  at  this  season  of  the  year.  Provide  a  piece  of 
cloth  as  before,  and  soak  it  in  ?r«rm  soap-suds.  Then 
take  the  vine  out  of  the  pot  and  wrap  the  cloth  round 
it  in  the  manner  already  mentioned,  taking  care  as 
the  roots  are  nev/ly  formed,  and  therefore  very  ten- 
der, not  to  bind  the  cloth  round  too  tightly.  This 
being  done,  insert  it  in  the  bed  of  materials  as  before, 


ROOTS  OF  GRAPE  VINES.  165 

It  will  be  of  great  advantage  to  a  vine  planted  in  this 
way  in  summer,  to  give  it  about  a  quart  of  good  rich 
warm  soap-suds  every  day  for  a  fortnight  after  it 
is  planted,  as  this  will  most  materially  promote  its 
growth. 

In  planting  vines  under  glass,  care  should  always 
be  taken  to  avoid  the  common,  but  capital  erroi\  of 
placing  the  stems  of  them  directly  under  the  rafters. 
Rafters  and  sashbars  reduce  the  quantity  of  light  that 
the  glass  admits,  and  thus  operate  injuriously ;  they 
are,  however,  necessary  evils,  but  the  fewer  there  are 
in  number  within  a  given  space,  and  the  less  surface 
each  occupies,  the  better.  But  to  plant  a  vine,  the 
main  stem  or  branch  of  which  will  become  one  of  its 
grand  receptacles  of  nourishing  matter,  in  a  situation 
where  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun  can  never  reach  it,  is 
certainly  one  of  the  most  absurd  and  contradictory 
things  imaginable.  The  proper  situation,  without 
doubt,  is  under  the  centre  of  a  light ;  the  main  stem 
and  all  the  branches,  and  of  course  the  fruit  also,  will 
then  enjoy  the  full  power  of  the  sun. 

The  bed  of  materials  being  made  and  enclosed,  and 
the  vines  planted,  a  brief  review  may  now  be  taken 
of  the  conditions  by  which  the  roots  are  surrounded. 

Here  then  is  a  mass  of  materials,  the  mechanical 
texture  and  arrangement  of  which  constitute  the  very 
delight  of  the  vine. 

The  innumerable  cavities  and  interstices,  and  the 
extraordinary  extent  of  surface  for  the  roots  to  trav- 
erse which  such  a  mass  possesses  when  put  compactly- 
together,  offer  to  the  roots  of  the  vines  planted  in  it 
such  facilities  of  growth,  and  the  substances  them- 
selves such  means  of  nourishment  and  support,  as 
cannot  be  obtained  from  a  hundred  times  its  bulk  of 
mere  soil.  All  the  substances,  except  the  bones,  pos- 
sess in  common  the  highest  powers  of  absorption. 
The  porosity  of  charcoal  is  such,  that  its  cells  occupy 
more  than  one  half  of  its  cubical  contents.  The 
beneficial  effects  of  it,  therefore,  as  an  absorbent  and 
a  retainer  of  moisture,  render  it  invaluable  as  a  com- 


1G6  PLANTING   AND   MANAGING 

ponent.  Wherever  charcoal  is  pJaced  in  situations 
that  exclude  the  atmospheric  air,  dryness  can  never 
enter.  It  is  said  to  be  under  such  circumstances 
indestructible;  but  that  is  not  the  case  when  the 
roots  of  vines  fasten  upon  it,  for  their  spongioles  soon 
abrade  its  surface,  and  appropriate  the  particles  to 
their  nourishment  and  support.  The  same  process  do 
they  effectually  perform  on  the  bricks  and  mortar. 

And  with  reference  to  bones,  the  direct  nutriment 
which  they  afford  is  more  lasting  in  its  nature  than 
that  of  any  other  known  substance.  And  all  these 
substances  lying  thus  close  together  within  a  small 
compass,  are  at  the  immediate  command  of  the  vines, 
the  roots  of  which  have  not  to  traverse  through  a  vast 
mass  of  soil  in  search  of  food,  by  which  their  growth 
is  frequently  impeded  and  an  injurious  check  thereby 
given  to  the  vital  energies  of  the  vines.  The  roots, 
indeed,  are  surrounded  by  all  the  conditions  necessary 
to  create  in  them  a  healthy  action.  They  lie  warm, 
for  the  temperature  which  they  enjoy  is  many  degrees 
higher  than  that  of  common  soil,  and  at  the  same  time 
they  are  beyond  the  reach  of  all  sudden  atmospheric 
changes.  The  shoots  which  they  produce  will  always 
be  short-jointed,  and  therefore  fruitful,  because  of 
their  comparative  slowness  of  growth. 

The  practical  advantages  of  these  conditions  are, 
that  vines  growing  in  the  enjoyment  of  them,  may 
be  forced  with  perfect  safety,  six  weeks  sooner  than 
they  could  be  under  ordinary  circumstances.  And  as 
a  crowning  advantage,  a  bed  of  materials  for  the 
reception  of  the  roots  of  vines  put  together  in  the 
manner  here  recommended,  when  once  made,  is  made, 
if  not  forever,  at  least  for  a  long  series  of  years. 

A  brief  recapitulation  of  the  numerous  advantages 
resulting  from  the  practice  of  planting  vines  within  a 
house,  and  surrounding  their  roots  with  conditions 
more  in  accordance  with  those  that  exist  in  their 
native  country,  having  now  been  made,  a  few  words 
may  be  offered,  in  reference  to  that  large  class  of  glass 
erections  which  abound  throughout  the  country,  name- 


ROOTS    OF   GRAPE    VINES.  167 

\y,  Greenhouses,  Conservatories,  &c.,  and  in  which, 
though  vines  are  frequently  cultivated,  they  are  gen- 
erally treated  as  subordinate  to  other  purposes. 

In  these  houses,  grapes  not  being  the  principal 
object,  the  management  of  the  vines  is  in  general  of 
an  inferior  character.  The  roots  of  them  are  taken 
but  little  account  of,  being  generally  planted  outside 
in  an  open  border,  and  suffered  to  ramble  about  with- 
out any  attempt  being  made  to  bestow  on  them  more 
favorable  conditions  of  growth. 

Vines  that  are  subjected  to  this  description  of  glass 
culture  are  brought  under  notice  here,  for  the  purpose 
of  suggesting,  that  if  an  improvement  in  their  culture 
be  desired  with  reference  to  the  better  management  of 
their  roots,  it  can  easily  be  accomplished,  by  making 
a  bed  of  materials,  such  as  has  been  already  described, 
and  enclosing  it  in  brickwork  outside  of  the  house. 
This  would  be  a  decided  improvement,  and  one  that 
would  be  far  better  calculated  to  ensure  the  produc- 
tion of  good  fruit,  than  any  other  that  could  be 
adopted,  while  the  roots  are  suffered  to  ramble  about 
unrestrained  in  the  open  soil.  Where,  therefore,  this 
improvement  is  intended  to  be  made,  the  roots  should 
be  carefidly  taken  up  at  the  proper  season,  and  pruned 
back,  and  then  temporarily  tied  up  in  plenty  of  mat- 
ting, so  that  the  air  cannot  affect  or  injure  them.  The 
soil  of  the  border  should  be  then  excavated  to  the 
breadth  of  about  8  feet,  and  to  the  depth  of  2|  feet, 
which  is  sufficiently  deep  for  an  outside  border. 
There  are  two  ways  of  enclosing  the  bed  of  materials 
that  is  to  be  formed  in  place  of  the  soil  taken  away, 
namely,  either  7oith  the  surface  of  it  paved  with 
bricks,  or  without  it. 

If  the  surface  is  to  be  paved^  then  the  brickwork  is 
to  be  done  in  precisely  the  same  manner  as  that  al- 
ready described  for  the  inside  of  a  vinery,  with  the 
two  following  exceptions; — 1st.  The  whole  upper 
flooring  of  brickwork  is  to  be  laid  in  mortar,  no 
courses  of  inovable  bricks  being  required  for  a  bed 
outside  of  the  house,  as  a  sufficient  quantity  of  mois- 


168  PLANTING   AND    MANAGING 

ture  for  the  roots  will  find  its  way  through  the  bricks 
forming  the  surface.  2d.  The  surface  of  the  bed  must 
be  sloped^  so  that  the  front  of  it  may  be  at  least  six 
inches  lower  than  that  part  that  joins  the  house. 

If  the  surface  of  the  bed  is  7iot  to  be  jjaved^  then 
the  brickwork  forming  the  bottom  flooring  is  also  to 
be  sloped,  as  well  as  the  top  surface  of  the  materials, 
to  the  same  extent  as  that  in  the  preceding  case. 
The  object  in  view  in  sloping  the  bottom,  is  to  admit 
any  excess  of  water,  that  may  at  any  time  fall  on  the 
border,  to  drain  away.  To  effect  this  more  readily,  a 
few  very  small  crevices  must  be  left  open  in  the 
bottom  of  the  front  wall,  just  at  the  junction  of  the 
flooring  and  the  wall.  And  as  there  is  to  be  no  brick 
flooring  on  the  upper  surface  of  the  bed.  the  cross- 
walls  that  are  pigeon-holed,  are  of  course  not  wanted, 
but  it  will  be  advisable  to  run  up  the  5o/^W  cross- walls, 
that  are  intended  to  keep  the  roots  of  each  vine 
separate  from  each  other.  The  preparation  and  filling 
in  of  the  bed  of  materials  is  to  be  efl'ected  in  the  same 
manner  as  already  described.  The  roots  of  the  vines 
should  also  be  deposited  in  the  bed  of  materials  in  a 
similar  way,  betwixt  two  pieces  of  wet  woollen  cloth  ; 
and  in  this  latter  case,  where  the  surface  of  the  mate- 
rials is  open,  the  roots  should  be  laid  in  six  inches 
below  the  surface. 

If  the  borders  outside  of  greenhouses,  &c.,  be  thus 
made  for  the  roots  of  vines  that  are  cultivated  within 
them,  the  superiority  of  the  fruit  would,  in  conse- 
quence, be  such  as  to  amply  repay  the  trifling  expense 
incurred  in  making  them. 

A  similarly  beneficial  eftect  on  the  fruit  of  vines 
cultivated  on  the  open  wall  would,  without  doubt,  be 
produced  by  making  artificial  borders  of  materials 
enclosed  in  brickwork  in  the  manner  already  de- 
scribed, in  all  cases  where  either  the  soil  or  subsoil  is 
naturally  stifl",  adhesive,  and  cold. 


ROOTS    OF    GRAPE    VINES.  169 

There  remains  now  to  be  described  a  mode  of  cul- 
tivating the  vine,  wliich,  from  its  simplicity  and 
economy,  and  its  easy  practical  adoption,  recommends 
itself  most  especially  to  the  notice  of  a  vast  class  of 
persons  who  are  not  in  possession  of  the  means  to 
practise  any  of  the  usual  methods  of  culture. 

This  mode  of  culture  is  based  upon  two  important 
principles  connected    with   the   growth  of  the  vine. 

The  first  of  which  is,  that  a  body  of  substances  or 
materials,  of  the  nature  already  described,  being 
enclosed  in  hollow  brickwork  or  masonry  erected  on 
the  surface  of  the  ground,  will  nourish  and  support 
the  roots  of  a  vine  inserted  therein,  as  effectually  as  it 
would  do,  were  the  brickwork  or  masonry  enclosing 
the  materials,  placed  below  the  surface  of  the  ground. 
The  second  principle  is,  that  the  roots  of  a  vine,  when 
enclosed  in  this  manner,  and  supplied  with  the  requi- 
site degree  of  moisture,  will  strike  upwards^  and  grow 
as  freely  in  that  direction,  as  they  will  downwards  or 
horizontally,  when  the  brickwork  and  materials  are 
beneath  the  surface  of  the  earth. 

On  these  two  important  principles,  an  easy  and 
novel  mode  of  cultivating  vines  may  be  practised, 
which  may  be  described  as  that  of  building  hollow 
brick  erections  on  the  surface  of  the  ground,  of  any 
shape,  circular,  square,  or  otherwise,  and  filling  them 
with  dry  materials  of  the  description  already  men- 
tioned, then  planting  in  each  erection  amongst  these 
materials,  the  roots  of  a  vine,  and  training  the 
branches  of  it  on  the  outside  surface  of  the  brick- 
work. 

These  are  the  principal  features  of  this  method, 
which,  perhaps,  will  be  more  clearly  understood  from 
a  detailed  account  of  the  mode  of  putting  up  an 
erection  of  this  description,  and  planting  a  vine  inside 
of  it. 

For  this  purpose,  a  hollow  circular  column  five  feet 

high  and  three  feet  in  diameter,  may  be  chosen.     A 

circular  erection  is   the   best,   because   the   sun   will 

shine  all  round  it  throughout  the  growing  season,  and 

15 


170  PLANTING   AND    MANAGING 

also  because  the  shoots  of  a  vine  can  be  trained  so 
much  more  easily  round  a  circular  column  than  round 
one  of  any  other  description  having  corners  or  angles 
to  it. 

It  must  first  be  observed,  that,  as  the  soil  or  ground 
on  which  erections  of  this  description  can  be  put, 
will  have  no  connection  whatever  with  the  roots  of 
the  vines  that  are  to  be  enclosed  within  them,  proper 
and  convenient  sites  may  be  chosen  wholly  irrespec- 
tive of  the  nature  of  the  soil  on  which  the  erections 
are  to  be  built.  Any  situation  therefore  will  do,  pro- 
vided it  be  sheltered,  and  have  an  open  exposure  or 
aspect  facing  the  course  of  the  sun. 

Assuming,  then,  that  a  proper  site  has  been  chosen 
for  the  erection  of  a  column  of  the  above-mentioned 
description,  the  following  directions  in  building  it  are 
to  be  observed : — 

1st.  Lay  a  course  of  bricks  on  the  ground  in  the 
form  of  a  square,  the  sides  of  which  shall  measure 
four  feet.  This  is  to  form  the  base  of  the  column, 
and  is  intended  to  give  it  an  architectural  feature. 
Now,  if  the  site  be  near  any  building  or  wall,  or 
straight  path,  then  the  sides  of  this  base  must  be  at 
right  angles  with  that  building,  or  wall,  &c. ;  but  if 
none  of  these  exist,  then  the  base  must  be  laid  with 
its  corners  pointing  to  the  four  cardinal  points  of  the 
horizon.  The  joints  of  the  brickwork  are  to  be  filled 
in  with  cement  or  strong  mortar,  so  as  to  prevent  the 
roots  of  the  vine  from  penetrating  through  into  the 
soil  beneath. 

2d.  The  base  of  the  column  being  laid,  the  circle 
for  the  brickwork  of  it  must  then  be  accurately 
marked  out ;  after  which,  the  first  course  of  bricks  is 
to  be  laid  flatwise,  so  that  their  inner  ends  may  point 
to  the  centre  of  the  circle,  and  their  outer  ones  form 
the  periphery  of  it.  Half  bricks  will  be  sufficiently 
strong,  provided  that  at  four  equally  distant  parts  of 
the  circle,  in  every  course,  a  whole  brick  be  laid, 
which  Avill  strengthen  the  work  and  make  it  firm. 
Half  bricks,  while  the  cost  of  them  is  much  less,  will 


ROOTS    OF    GRAPE    VINES.  171 

not  require  so  much  cutting  as  whole  ones,  and  they 
will  also  leave  a  greater  space  inside  of  the  column 
for  the  reception  of  the  materials.  The  first  circular 
course  being  laid,  the  interior  is  to  remain  as  it  is, 
hollow. 

3d.  Now  mark  the  exact  spot  in  this  course  where 
the  shoot  of  the  vine  is  to  go  through  the  brickwork, 
and  this  should  be  opposite  the  centre  of  one  of  the 
sides  of  the  base,  that  faces  either  the  south  or  east  or 
aay  intermediate  point.  This  spot  being  marked,  the 
second  course  of  bricks  is  to  be  laid  as  before,  observ- 
ing that,  as  the  shoot  of  the  vine  is  to  go  through 
here,  a  semicircular  hole  is  to  be  made  in  the  upper 
surface  of  the  brickwork,  of  an  inch  and  a  half  in 
diameter,  to  form  a  passage  for  the  shoot.  The 
second  course  being  laid,  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
materials  to  fill  the  column,  of  the  description  already 
mentioned,*  having  been  previously  provided  and 
properly  prepared,  the  hollow  space  is  now  to  be  filled 
with  them  as  high  as  the  surface  of  the  brickwork. 
They  must  be  put  in  by  the  hand,  and  placed  closely 
and  compactly  together. 

4th.  Now  plant  the  vine,  observing  the  directions 
respecting  the  roots  given  in  p.  163,  which  are  to  be 
strictly  followed.  The  vine  should  be  a  strong  plant 
three  years  old.  It  is  to  be  laid  on  its  side,  with  its 
roots  inside  of  the  column,  and  its  shoot  passing 
through  the  semicircular  hole  to  the  outside  of  it. 
That  part  of  the  shoot  that  lies  in  the  hole  is  to  have 
all  its  buds  cut  out,  leaving  as  much  of  the  shoot  out- 
side the  column  as  contains  three  good  buds. 

5th.  The  vine  being  thus  planted,  the  third  course 
of  bricks  may  be  laid,  taking  care  that  a  brick  with  a 
semicircular  hole,  exactly  the  same  size  as  the  other, 
is  laid  over  the  brick  on  which  the  shoot  of  the  vine 
is  resting,  and  which  will  then  be  lying  in  a  eb'cidw 
hole,  an  inch  and  a  half  in  diameter.  The  third 
course  being  laid,  the  internal  vacancy  must  be  again 

*See  page  158. 


172  PLANTING   AND    MANAGING 

filled  up  with  more  materials,  taking  particular  care 
to  place  them  close  round  the  inner  end  of  the  hole 
containing  the  shoot  of  the  vine,  so  as  to  prevent  the 
entrance  of  mice  or  any  other  unwelcome  intruders. 
The  hole  on  the  outside,  also,  should  be  filled  with 
moss,  which  will  give  it  a  more  sightly  appearance 
than  if  left  open,  and  likewise  protect  the  roots  during 
their  first  growth. 

6th.  The  remaining  courses  of  brickwork  may  now 
be  laid  in  succession,  and  the  materials  filled  in  as  the 
work  proceeds.  When  the  column  is  built  up  within 
three  courses  of  its  intended  height,  and  the  materials 
filled  in  exactly  even  with  the  brickwork,  a  course  of 
whole  bricks  must  be  laid  over  the  entire  surface^ 
taking  care  that  those  which  rest  on  the  materials  are 
not  to  be  laid  on  mortar,  but  merely  jointed  with  it. 
This  course  being  finished,  the  last  two  are  to  be 
formed  with  whole  bricks  laid  flush  with  the  outside, 
and  with  their  inner  ends  slightly  sloping  towards 
the  centre  of  the  column,  which  will  cause  all  the 
rain  that  falls  on  them  to  run  towards  it  and  fall  into 
the  sunken  hollow  space  that  will  be  there  formed  by 
this  circular  ring  of  brickwork.  The  circular  space, 
which  will  be  about  18  inches  in  diameter,  and  6 
inches  deep,  is  intended  as  a  receptacle  for  all  the  rain 
that  falls  on  the  surface  of  the  top  of  the  column, 
which  will  filter  through  the  single  thickness  of  the 
bricks,  forming  the  bottom  of  the  hollow  space,  and 
thence  be  distributed  by  absorption  throughout  the 
whole  mass  of  the  enclosed  materials,  thereby  supply- 
ing that  moderate  degree  of  moisture  to  the  roots  of 
the  vine,  which  contributes  so  advantageously  to  its 
nourishment  and  support. 

The  column  will  now  be  complete.  The  sunken 
space  at  the  top  of  it  may,  if  desired,  be  filled  with 
mould ;  and  mignonnette,  or  any  other  annual  flower 
of  suitable  growth,  may  be  grown  in  it,  and  which, 
hanging  pendently  over  the  edge  of  the  column,  will 
present  a  very  graceful  appearance. 

The  pruning  and  training  of  the  shoots  of  the  vine 


ROOTS    OF    GRAPE    VINES,  173 

will  be  the  same  as  if  planted  against  a  straight  wall. 
The  circular  surface  of  a  column  of  these  dimensions 
will  contain  45  superficial  feet ;  a  few  years  therefore 
after  its  erection,  the  vine  will  annually  yield  501b, 
weight  of  gra}:)es.  The  whole  cost  of  erecting  one, 
including  the  enclosed  materials,  will  be  about  255. 

Columns  may  be  erected  of  a  larger  or  smaller  size 
than  that  here  described ;  but  if  the  diameter  be  much 
less  than  three  feet,  the  shape  must  be  that  of  a  polygon 
of  many  sides,  if  built  with  bricks  of  the  usual  shape, 
on  account  of  their  ends  being  rectangular. 

A  column  may  be  erected  on  any  spare  or  conve- 
nient spot,  either  contiguous  to  a  dwelling  or  in  a 
garden;  and  by  putting  up  a  couple  at  opposite  or 
corresponding  points,  or  a  greater  number  sufficient  to 
form  a  harmonious  combination,  a  highly  ornamental 
appearance  may  thereby  be  created.  The  simple  con- 
trivance of  chambering  the  roots  inside,  and  the  pro- 
vision of  the  sunken  water-table  at  the  top  of  the 
column  outside,  prevent  the  necessity  of  the  slightest 
trouble  being  required  in  the  management  of  the  vine, 
beyond  that  of  the  ordinary  routine  of  pruning  and 
training,  while  at  the  same  time,  the  vine  is  placed  in 
such  superior  conditions  with  reference  to  its  roots, 
that  fine  well  ripened  grapes  may  always  be  depended 
upon. 

On  the  whole,  therefore,  it  may  be  said  that  this 
entirely  new  method  of  growing  grapes  on  the  surface 
of  hollow  brick  erections,  which  has  now  been 
brought  under  notice,  and  fully  explained,  presents  so 
many  advantageous  features,  and  is  withal  of  such 
easy  practical  application,  that  a  vast  number  of  per- 
sons, who  have  not  hitherto  possessed  the  means  of 
cultivating  even  a  single  vine,  may  now,  at  a  trifling 
expense,  enjoy  the  very  great  luxury  of  having  at 
every  returning  season,  an  ample  supply  of  delicious 
and  fine-flavored  grapes. 

15* 


INDEX. 


PAGE. 

Alburnum,  formation  of  the 73 

Aspects,  the  best,  described 41 

Bearing-shoots,  description  of          .....  127 

Berries,  advantages  of  thinning  the      ....  108 

Blood,  a  good  liquid  manure .57 

Bone-dust,  an  excellent  manure             ....  65 

Bones,  the  beneficial  effects  of,  when  deposited  in  vine  borders  51 

Borders,  description  of  the  best  materials  for  making  vine  44 

,   proper  method  of  making  vine     ....  45 

,   injurious  effects  of  digging  or  cropping  the       .  47 

,   proper  method  of  vs^atering,  with  liquid  manure  110 

Buds,  when  the  small  or  secondary,  should  be  rubbed  off  100 

,  formation  of  fruit,  described             ....  86 

Bunches,  method  of  thinning  the 105 

,  large,  how  to  produce 88 

Carcases  of  animals,  make  excellent  manure         .         .  .55 

Catalogue  of  the  best  sorts  of  grapes  for  open  walls          .  140 

Compost,  the  best  sort  of,  for  vine  borders             .         .  .45 

Copings,  advantages  of  projecting             ....  62 

,   proper  width  of    .         .         .         .         .         .  .63 

,   movable  wooden        ......  64 

Cuttings,  raising  vines  by 67 

,   method  of  preparing  and  planting       ...  68 

Dung-heaps,  drainings  of,  a  good  liquid  manure         .         .      57 


176  INDEX. 


Excrements  of  birds  and  animals,  a  good  top-dressing  for  vine 
borders      .,,,..,..  57 

Feathers,  a  good  manure 55 

Fish,  a  good  top-dressing  for  vine  borders       ,         ,         ,  76 

Foliage  of  vines,  capable  of  producing  good  wine         ,         .      17 
Fruit-buds,  the  formation  of            .         .         .         ,         .  87 

Fruiting-shoots,  in  what  position  to  nail  the         .         ,         ,101 
Fruiting-point,  described 134 

Grapes,  the  quantity  of,  that  can  be  grown  on  a  given  extent 

of  surface  of  walling    ......         16 

,  one  of  the  principal  causes  of,  not  ripening      .         .    43 

,  when  in  blossom 104 

. ,  catalogue  of  the  best  sorts  of,  for  open  wall     .         .  140 

Hair,  a  good  manure ^55 

Horns  and  hoofs  of  cattle,  a  valuable  manure  .         .        54 

Lateral  shoots,  how  "to  manage  the  ....      102 

Layers,  method  of  raising  vines  by  ....  65 

Leather,  a  good  manure  55 

Leaves,  their  great  value  in  protecting  the  fruit       .         .         106 

,  injurious  consequences  of  plucking  off  the      .         .112 

Lime-washing  the  surface  of  vine  walls  .         .         .  61 

Management  of  a  young  vine,  during  the  first  five  years  of  its 

growth     ........     90 

,    of  a  vine  during  the  winter  .         .         .130 

Manure,  the  best  sorts  of,  for  vine  borders  .         .         .51 
,  proper  mode  of  depositing,  in  vine  borders  .         56 


-,  liquid,  the  best  sorts  of 56 

-r ,  caution  against  the  excessive  use  of  .         57 


Night-soil,  a  good  top-dressing  for  vine  borders         .         .         57 

Pruning,  the  chief  object  of 70 

. ,  different  methods  of  described  .         .  75-80 

,  general  rules  for 80 

= ,  general  autumnal 123 


INDEX.  177 


PAGE. 


Register,  Calendarial 99 

Ripening  process,  described  115 

Salt,  the  good  effects  of,  when  cast  on  a  vine  border  .      131 

Sap,  motion  of  the,  described       .         .         .         .         .         .72 

Scale  of  the  proportionate  quantity  of  grapes  which  any 

vine  of  a  given  girt  of  stem  can  mature      .         .         .33 

,  practical  application  of  the       .....        36 

Shelter,  necessary  to  the  prosperous  growth  of  vines      .         .  37 
Shoot,  method  of  bending  a  young,  round  the  corner  of  a 

building 138 

Shreds,  the  best  sort  of,  for  nailing  vine  shoots  and  branches     89 
Soap-suds,  an  excellent  liquid  manure  .         .         .         .57 

Soil,  the  best  sort  of,  for  vines 42 

Soot,  a  valuable  manure       .         .         .         .         .         .         .57 

Stable  manure,  beneficial  to  vine  borders  ...       57 

Stem,  the,  of  a  vine,  described  133 

Stoning  process  of  grapes  described         .         .         .         .        113 
Subsoil,  the  best  sort  of,  for  the  roots  of  vines       .         .  42 

Tendrils,  when  to  be  pinched  off         ....         .  103 
Thinning  the  bunches,  mode  of,  described         .         .         .       105 

the  berries 107 

,  beneficial  consequences  of      .         .       108 

Training  the  branches,  object  of 81 

,    the  serpentine  method  of  ....         82 

,    winter *     82 

,    summer     ........         86 

Transplanting  of  vines,  method  of        .         .         .         .         .90 

Urine,  a  valuable  liquid  manure 56 

Vine,  the,  native  country  of        ......  15 

,  introduction  of  into  Britain      ....  15 

,  the  leaves,  tendrils,  and  young  shoots  of,  capable 

of  producing  good  wine      .....  17 

,  adaptation  of,  for  culture  in  towns          .         .  19 

,  the  usual  method  of  cultivating,  on  open  walls, 

describe<i         .......  22 


178  INDEX. 


PAGE. 


Vines,  rule  observed  in  pruning,  in  foreign  countries    .         .    27 

,    effects  of  warm  summers  in  ripening  the  bearing 

shoots  of 27 

,    an  account  of  several  experiments  made  to  ascertain 

the  extent  of  the  fruit-bearing  powers  of  .         .29 

,  injurious  effects  of  young,  bearing  fruit  prematurely         34 

Vintage,  general  rule  respecting  the         .         .         .         .118 

Walls,  the  most  eligible  height  of,  for  training  vines  upon     .    58 

,    the  best  sort  of  materials  for  the  building  of  vine     .        60 

,    the  best  method  of  building  the  foundation  of  vine     .     60 

,    remarks  on  blackening  the  surface  of      .         ,         .        61 

Watering  the  borders  with  liquid  manure     .         ,         .         .110 

the  foliage  and  fruit  ,         .         .         .         .111 

Wind,  injurious  effects  of  the,  on  the  growth  of  vines  .    37 

Wine,  produced  from  the  leaves,  tendrils,  and  young  shoots  of 

vines         ,..,,.....  17 
Wood,  injurious  effects  of  old  afid  naked  ...       75 

Wollen  rags,  a  good  manure        .        .        ,        ,        ,        ,55 


INDEX. 


[Planting  and  Managing  the  Roots.] 


Borders,  coldness  of  rich  and  highly-manured  Vine,  .  155 

Bones,  a  valuable  component  of  an  artificial  Vine-border  158 

',  the  qualities  of  dascribed         .....  166 

Bricks,  absorbing  powers  of,             .....  159 
,  broken,  necessary  components  of  an  artificial  Vine- 
border         ........  158 

,  movable,  to  be  laid  on  Vinery  floor     .         .         .  162 

Brick-vi^ork,  materials  to  be  enclosed  in        ...         .  158 

Brick-floor,  mode  of  laying  down  the      .         .         .         .  161 

Charcoal,  a  valuable  component  of  an  artificial  Vine-border      158 

,  the  qualities  of,  described  ....   165 

Column,  hollow  brick,  described       .....       170 

,  mode  of  building  a     ....   170 

,  weight  of  Grapes  annually  produced 

on  a 173 

Conservatories,  Vines  cultivated  in 167 

Exotic  fruit  trees,  conditions  which  they  require  to  be  placed 

in 147 

Equinox,  vernal,  roots  of  Vines  do  not  move  till  after  the         155 

Grapes,  soils  in  which  they  are  brought  to  the  highest  perfec- 
tion       148 

-,  created  by  solar  light  and  heat         ....  151 

Greenhouses,  Vines  cultivated  in  ....       167 

Gravelly  soils,  the  Vine  flourishes  in  ....     148 

Materials,  bed  of  for  the  roots  of  Vines,  described            .  161 
Matter,  organizable,  extraordinary  powers  of  expansion  of  156 
Mortar,  bits  of,  necessary  components  of  an  artificial  Vine- 
border             ....  158 


180  INDEX. 


PAGE. 


Rocky  soils,  the  vine  delights  in 148 

Sap,  the  first  movement  of  the,  described             .         .         .  156 

Shanking,  the  cause  of,  in  Grapes           ....  157 

Shrivelling,  the  cause  of             ......  157 

Soap-suds,  cloth  to  be  soaked  in,  for  planting  Vines         .  163 

Soil,  description  of  an  artificial,  for  Vines           .         .         .  158 

,  low  temperature  of,  in  winter         ....  150 

Soils,  description  of,  which  Vines  flourish  in      .         .         .  148 

,  moisture  always  present  in  certain         .         .         .  148 

Solar  heat  necessary  to  produce  Grapes     .         .         .         .151 

Spain,  Vine-cuttings  received  from,  described         .          .  154 

Sprinkling  the  floor  of  a  Vinery,  advantages  of          .         .  162 
Stones,  a  collection  of,  suitable  for  the  roots  of  Vines  to 

grow  in         ........          .  149 

Stony  soils,  the  Vine  flourishes  in           ....  148 

Syria,  temperature  of 149 

Urine,  materials  to  be  soaked  in 158 

Vine,  the,  vegetative  power  of,  described  .         .         .150 

,  maturative  power  of,  described               .         .  151 

,  indigenous  country  of       .          .          .         .          .  152 

,  manure  necessary  to,  when  trained  on  the  open  wall  153 

■ ,  manure  not  necessary  to,  when  forced             .  153 

,  rapidity  of  growth  of,  unfavorable  to  the  formation 

of  fruit  buds     ......  153 

,  winter  planting  of,  described     ....  163 

,  summer  planting  of,  described        .         .         .  164 

,  new  mode  of  cultivating             ....  169 

Vines,  soils  they  delight  to  grow  in                 ...  148 

,  where  to  plant,  under  glass      .....  165 

,  capital  error  often  committed  in  planting      .         .  165 

,  favorable  conditions  in  which  the  roots  of  are  placed, 

when  planted  in  dry  materials            .          .          .  165 

,  in  pots  how  to  be  planted      .....  164 

,  when  forced,  should  be  planted  inside  the  Vinery  159 

,  forced,  temperature  of  the  branches  of,  in  winter  150 

Vinery,  new,  excavation  for  a            .         .         .         .         .  159 

Walls,  hollow,  necessity  of,  in  all  erections  for  forcing  Vines  160 

,  cross,  necessity  of,  in  the  bed  of  a  Vinery                .  160 

,  pigeon  hole,  described                 ....  161 


UOllSOdB 

)3moo  3/ 


